A review by simplymary
Tears in the Darkness: The Story of the Bataan Death March and Its Aftermath by Michael Norman

4.0

I gave this book five stars because I thought the research was exceptional, it was an absolutely fresh look at a very worn-out topic (WWII), and it was the first book on war I've read that captured the mindset, worldview, and experiences of BOTH sides (in this case, American and Japanese). The couple who co-wrote it obviously brought in their own areas of expertise and experience, and I just can't imagine how much time and effort it must have taken to interview so many people and dig up the kind of information that is interlaced throughout. The nice thing is that it's a gripping and captivating read, using as the main thread the true story of a boy from Montana who endures the Bataan Death March in the Philippines, in part by discovering his talent for drawing (his moving sketches are found throughout the book). The bad thing is that it's a really gruesome tale: gory details, crushing disappointments, depressing medical diagnoses, and the horror of man vs. man. I'll never forget one quote of a survivor describing the emaciated body of his comrade whom he comforted in his final hour: "If his parents could see his body, like hide stretched over a skeleton, they would never stop crying." Sigh. So you might want to have an upbeat, funny book to turn to when this one seems like the pain will never end. However, it's just such an important story that I feel everyone should know what really happened there in the Pacific. I will say that the rosy synopsis I was given of General MacArthur in high school history was seriously challenged by these authors, and I was hanging onto each word in the last chapter to find out the fate of the Japanese general whom I came to love. This is one of those books that helps you put your life and challenges into perspective, and is a sobering reminder of how many blessings we take for granted.