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A reread is probably in order at some point but I believe a memory that strong certainly justifies adding it to my list of "read" books with a comment.
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I believe I read this book when I was in junior high or high school, about 50 years ago, and my memory of it is still strong enough for the 4* rating. Thanks to Tara Masih's review of The Flamboya Tree: Memories of a Mother's War I was reminded of this book today while reading a review of another book set in the same time period and circumstances. I was reminded of this book today while reading a review of another book set in the same time period and circumstances. I finished reading Keith's story and was struck that this treasure, this personal suffering courageously exposing the worst of a person's life that we might learn from her experience, this little brown hardcover book sat in a warehouse gathering dust, waiting to be sold by the crate. The result was bitterness and hardness of heart, which she acknowledged. Simply an American living abroad due to her husband's work post, she had no frame for her suffering, little help in making sense of the evil she endured. A soldier suffers for his country, a person of a certain race/culture suffers for his people and a missionary for his God. These roles frame suffering in a certain purpose that helps counter or salve the expected bitterness arising from such an experience. Most war accounts are written by soldiers, aid workers, targeted peoples or missionaries. The younger children, like Keith's son, having no memory of life before POW status would daydream about a surprise egg or an extra bit of rice.Īlso unique was Keith's bitterness throughout her experience. As an example, older children enduring starvation would daydream about food from freedom: cakes, candies and other children's comfort foods. Heartbreaking and fascinating is a child's imprisoned upbringing. Unique to this account of a POW experience is that Keith's toddler, George, is imprisoned with her, along with over 30 other children. Keith is still processing and still recovering as she writes, and I believe that becomes more and more clear as you move further through the story. This isn't someone who's had years to reflect on their experiences and whittled down a clearcut way to convey them. The quickness from journal to print and the intensity of the personal experience helps explain the sometimes hodgepodge feel of the writing. It may be helpful to know from the outset that Keith kept hidden journals and notes throughout her three year imprisonment, was released in 1945 and "Three Came Home" hit the press in 1947. Once some of these pieces came together, I was able to settle more into Keith's style of storytelling. Tenses changed throughout the book, even mid-paragraph, and I didn't realize until the end of the book that this was probably because Keith at times interjects word for word from her journals. I couldn't catch on to the author's occasional sarcasm in her attempt to inject some lightness into oppressive scenes. The beginning of the book read clunky for me.
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Surprised, I discovered instead a true journalistic account of a mother's three year imprisonment, along with her husband and toddler in a Japanese POW camp on Borneo. I picked this up expecting a quick read - a little drama, a little mystery, a little diversion. They were all old, mostly first-edition hardbacks of young adult novels and mysteries. My husband surprised me one Christmas with a set of books sold by the case from Little Brown Publishing, probably clearing out their warehouse. Surprised, I discovered instead a true journalistic account of a mother's three year imprisonment, along with her husband and toddler in a I stumbled upon this accidentally.