A riveting tale of a woman extraordinaire. Jean Paget is my new hero; although largely a fictional character, she is more tangible, more inspirational than others bestowed with the accolade. We aspire to greatness, of physical strength, endurance or intellect. Hers are of more quiet strengths; her practicality, tranquillity and determined good humour, leads her fellow captives through war, and then on throughout her life. A wonderful book of true grit, kindness, and love of the deepest form. Words fail me, or most likely I fail in expressing my love of this unpretentious story. I will add, however, that the novel highlighted my ignorance in Japanese occupied Malaya and I will work to rectify that.
“However terrible a prison camp may be, it makes a difference if it’s beautiful.”
“It was beyond all doubt that they had been blessed in every way since his death for them. God had sent down His Son to earth in Palestine. What if He had done it again in Malaya?”
“This is the gift of a woman for women and in this thing the men shall do what women say.”
“…and the men stood round in a tolerant circle at a distance, wondering if they had been quite wise to allow anything that made the women laugh so much.”
“It was unfortunate that the inner light in her, the quality that made her what he called a bonza girl, didn’t show on the surface.”
“They went out presently and stood upon the beach in the bright moonlight, holding each other close. ‘I never knew a man could be so happy,’ he said once.”
Mar 21
JohannaAirth 