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A review by trudyd
Under the Golden Sun by Jenny Ashcroft
5.0
I was gutted. The author's ability to bring the struggles, the loses, the challenges of war and prejudices is mind blowing. With the tap on a keyboard she transported me back in time to experience Rose's life as she picks up the pieces and finds home.
Rose is hired to return Max to his home in Australia. His mother is dead, Vivian is dying. He needs to go back to where he belongs, even if he doesn't really belong, even if he isn't really wanted.
Rose and Walter sail on a ship that is being held together by a lick and a prayer, pulled out of mothballs when ships had been taken by the Navy. Reading of the dangers at sea in a textbook was nothing compared to experiencing it through Rose and Walter, even if they were supposed to be traveling in luxury. During the war, traveling just had different levels of horrid.
Under the Golden Sun takes the reader into the lives of those living on a cattle station outside of Brisbane. We witness the prejudices toward Walter, a little boy of mixed race. We see the struggles of those left behind by too many losses.
Jenny Ashcroft opened my eyes to the challenges Max experience after returning home from Egypt with burns that would cause problems for the rest of his life. He didn't have the memories of his plane crashing but visual reminders as he hides on the station, avoiding people, avoiding love.
The story touches on to the war in many ways. The reader is not only dealing with war in Europe but also war in the Pacific. When Japan bombs Pearl harbor, Rose's fears increase. She not only worries about her brother, Joe, flying for the British but now fears for her parents living in Singapore.
I must confess that at 95% in the story I was completely gutted. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I was being selfish. My fears for the characters had become real. I had cried with them. I had celebrated with them. I wanted them to have a happily ever after. I had to remember that so many did not get a happily ever after in World War 2.
I can't thank the author enough for bring the past to life in such away that I wanted to learn more. The ending brought me empathy. Like so many after the war, I was left wondering what happened to some of those in the book.
Rose is hired to return Max to his home in Australia. His mother is dead, Vivian is dying. He needs to go back to where he belongs, even if he doesn't really belong, even if he isn't really wanted.
Rose and Walter sail on a ship that is being held together by a lick and a prayer, pulled out of mothballs when ships had been taken by the Navy. Reading of the dangers at sea in a textbook was nothing compared to experiencing it through Rose and Walter, even if they were supposed to be traveling in luxury. During the war, traveling just had different levels of horrid.
Under the Golden Sun takes the reader into the lives of those living on a cattle station outside of Brisbane. We witness the prejudices toward Walter, a little boy of mixed race. We see the struggles of those left behind by too many losses.
Jenny Ashcroft opened my eyes to the challenges Max experience after returning home from Egypt with burns that would cause problems for the rest of his life. He didn't have the memories of his plane crashing but visual reminders as he hides on the station, avoiding people, avoiding love.
The story touches on to the war in many ways. The reader is not only dealing with war in Europe but also war in the Pacific. When Japan bombs Pearl harbor, Rose's fears increase. She not only worries about her brother, Joe, flying for the British but now fears for her parents living in Singapore.
I must confess that at 95% in the story I was completely gutted. I wasn't sure if I could go on. I was being selfish. My fears for the characters had become real. I had cried with them. I had celebrated with them. I wanted them to have a happily ever after. I had to remember that so many did not get a happily ever after in World War 2.
I can't thank the author enough for bring the past to life in such away that I wanted to learn more. The ending brought me empathy. Like so many after the war, I was left wondering what happened to some of those in the book.