THIEF OF GLORY by
Sigmund Brouwer
Jeremiah tells his story as an old man remembering the years
of World War II when his family was interned by the Japanese in the Dutch East
Indies. This is a little known part of the
Japanese invasion that is overshadowed by the Burma Death March and the bridge
over the River Kwai.
Jeremiah’s family is quickly separated. His father and three
older brothers are sent to work as slaves for the invaders. Jeremiah, his two
younger sisters and younger brother are left with their mother who suffers from
an unnamed mental illness. Laura Jansen
and her grandmother and Georgie, a boy about Jeremiah’s age, also figure in the
camp years as internees.
The horror of the camp and the privations are clearly shown.
Camp life makes up the majority of the book with several incidents proving to
affect the lives of the main characters long after the war is over.
The writing engages the reader immediately and doesn’t let
go until the end. The characters are
fullu fleshed, the incidents believable, the plot and conflict are
layered.
5 of 5 stars
No comments:
Post a Comment