When We Were Young & Brave

When you think about World War II, often the atrocities that occurred in China and particularly to westerners who were living in China at the time don't cross our minds. However, during this time frame many individuals who were in living in China as diplomats, business people, and missionaries were rounded up and placed into internment camps by the Japanese. Many of the people placed in these camps were the children of these individuals who were attending boarding schools. When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor turns the spotlight on a student and a teacher at Chefoo Inland Mission School to tell this story.

In alternating chapters, Nancy, the daugher of British missionaries, and Elspeth, her teacher and Girl Guide leader, tell the story of being at the Chefoo school beginning in December, 1941. The story follows them until their liberation by American soldiers in August 1945. Their experiences as prisoners beginning at their boarding school and then in two different internment camps will bring chills to the reader. The changing narrator provides the opportunity for Gaynor to show the experiences through the eyes of a child who by the end of the book becomes a teenager as well as an adult who is tasked in loco parentis with taking care of all these children in the absence of their parents. While not a specifically Christian book, as the main characters are affiliated with a mission school and the main character's parents are missionaries, some Christian themes and practices such as prayer and worship are mentioned simply because it was part of their life. Nothing about their horrific experiences is candy coated or glossed over. Readers will also note that a very famous British missionary to China has a substantial cameo appearance as well.

When We Were Young & Brave is an excellent addition to the often over-crowded field of World War II novels and a welcome addition as it highlights an aspect of the war that many forget or is unfamiliar. I was unfamiliar with author Hazel Gaynor and look forward to reading more of her works. Highly recommended for history buffs and those who enjoy works with strong female characters.

I received a complementary e-copy of this novel from William Morrow/Harper Collins via NetGalley. I was not required to provide a positive review.