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

Very powerful. About the coming of age of a 10 year old Dutch boy who must endure and survive being in a Japanese prison camp. You won't see the end coming. Lots of foreshadowing but you won't see it until you have finished the book and reflected back on it. One of the best fictions book's we have read in some time. All in our group agreed this was a GREAT read.