Books from the Backlog is a fun way to feature some of those neglected books sitting on your bookshelf unread. If you are anything like me, you might be surprised by some of the unread books hiding in your stacks.
If you would like to join in, please feel free to enter your link, link back to this post, and then spend some time visiting some of the other posts.
This week’s neglected book
When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor Published by William Morrow on October 6, 2020
Genres: Fiction / Historical / 20th Century / World War II
Length: 11 hours 32 minutes
Pages: 448
Format: ARC
Source: Publisher
Goodreads
Amazon | Audible | B&N | Kobo | Libro.fm
"Gaynor's story of courage and strength will make you believe in the heroic spirit in each of us." —Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
The New York Times bestselling author of The Girl Who Came Home sets her unforgettable new novel in China during WWII, inspired by true events surrounding the Japanese Army’s internment of teachers and children from a British-run missionary school.
Their motto was to be prepared, but nothing could prepare them for war.
China, December 1941. Having left an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China, Elspeth Kent is now anxious to return home to help the war effort. But as she prepares to leave China, a terrible twist of fate determines a different path for Elspeth, and those in her charge.
Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School, protected by her British status. But when Japan declares war on Britain and America, Japanese forces take control of the school and the security and comforts Nancy and her friends are used to are replaced by privation, uncertainty and fear. Now the enemy, and separated from their parents, the children look to their teachers – to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – to provide a sense of unity and safety.
Faced with the relentless challenges of oppression, the school community must rely on their courage, faith and friendships as they pray for liberation – but worse is to come when they are sent to a distant internment camp where even greater uncertainty and danger await . . .
Inspired by true events, When We Were Young and Brave is an unforgettable novel about impossible choices and unimaginable hardship, and the life-changing bonds formed between a young girl and her teacher in a remote corner of a terrible war.
Why did I add When We Were Young & Brave to my bookshelf?
The publisher was kind enough to send this book to me and I hate that I have not read it yet. 2020 was not a good year and I fell behind on a whole lot of obligations during that time but I am trying to get to as many of those books as I can now. I have enjoyed this author’s book and I have a good feeling about this one.
What are your thoughts? Have you read this book? Would you recommend it?
Wow, what a situation and to know it was a true story. Sounds like a good one.
I haven’t read it but I’d certainly consider reading it!
I think I might have one or two books floating around that a publisher sent me that I still need to read! There is a certain kind of guilt to not reading them, but I try to tell myself if they sent it without notice, I shouldn’t feel too guilty…so that’s where I’m at! Lol. There is still a tiny bit of guilt, but since I am working on a list of books I did request and received, I got to focus on those now.
This sounds like an interesting story.
Simply Angela
Navigating 2020 was a rocky endeavor. I hope you enjoy this historical when you get to it.
I didn’t know about this one
I read one of her books. It was lovely. It was a contemporary though. I hope this is a good one too
I say read it
I admit I am curious about this one.
Never read this author’s work, but I love the cover. Hope it’s a good one!
Great pick you have there. I am always intrigued by the WWII setups. I used to read them all the time, and definitely want to get back into them. Hope you end up loving this one.
I was shocked that I hadn’t heard of this one until I saw the pub date. I wasn’t at my best reading wise then either but this does look good and I love Hazel Gaynor’s books.