China, 1941. With Japan’s declaration of war on the Allies, Elspeth Kent’s future changes
forever. When soldiers take control of the missionary school where she teaches,
comfortable security is replaced by rationing, uncertainty and fear.
Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School. Now the enemy,
separated indefinitely from anxious parents, the children must turn to their teachers – to
Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – for help. But worse is to come when
the pupils and teachers are sent to a distant internment camp. Unimaginable hardship,
impossible choices and danger lie ahead.
Inspired by true events, this is the unforgettable story of the life-changing bonds
formed between a young girl and her teacher, in a remote corner of a terrible war.
My Thoughts:
The Bird in the Bamboo Cage was a privilege and a joy to read. It felt even more poignant reading it at the time of the 75th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War and also the surrender of Japan. This really is an unforgettable book and a story that deserves to be read.
The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is set initially at the The Chefoo School in Shandong Province in Northern China. This boarding school provides education to the children of foreign missionaries and diplomats. At the outset Elspeth Kent a teacher at Chefoo is just about to hand her notice in and return to the UK and return to all that she has run away from. The problem is that just as she is about to make her decision the Japanese Army invade China and overtake the school. Life at first carries on steadily but there are new rules, rations and everything is suddenly very scary particularly for the children. Life becomes even more unbearable and bleak when all at The Chefoo School is moved to an internment camp. The children now not so much managed by their teacher but more managed by fear of the guards for example.
There is a whole host of wonderful characters here all of whom seemed very real and jumped off the page. Besides, Elspeth their are her colleagues, the students and even Eric Liddell a British Olympian who was also at the camp and provided a great source of inspiration and courage for the children.
Then of course there are the wonderful, remarkable resilient children, including Nancy Plummer. She is at The Chefoo School with her brother as their parents are missionaries. All that Nancy seems to think about is seeing her Mother again and she fears that her memory and image is fading from her mind. Also there are Nancy's eclectic friends, Mouse and Sprout.
I ashamedly have known little about the Japanese Internment camps and I plan to now go on and educate myself further. This novel is steeped in historical research and is woven into the narrative of our characters with great skill and tenderness by the author.
This book deals with a serious subject matter but it is quite clear that it is also a story of hope and resilience. Whilst times were at the worst the members of The Chefoo School stood together sometimes in defiance even and they always, always planned to go home. Using all of the skills of from the Brownies and Girl Guides they forge ahead.
This book made me ache with sadness but it also had me in tears of joy. There were so many wonderful bits, references and symbolism of happier times and a reminder that you can never truly put a cage around who wishes to be free and that freedom is a state of mind and not a state of being. It is still possible for beauty to grow in the most dire situations and when it seems the least unlikely.
The writing from the author is sublime, the message is brilliant. The story is never twee, and the history remains intact. This book is up there with the best I have read this year and quite possibly ever. It is honestly, honestly magnificent.
About the Author:
The Bird in the Bamboo Cage was a privilege and a joy to read. It felt even more poignant reading it at the time of the 75th Anniversary of the end of the Second World War and also the surrender of Japan. This really is an unforgettable book and a story that deserves to be read.
The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is set initially at the The Chefoo School in Shandong Province in Northern China. This boarding school provides education to the children of foreign missionaries and diplomats. At the outset Elspeth Kent a teacher at Chefoo is just about to hand her notice in and return to the UK and return to all that she has run away from. The problem is that just as she is about to make her decision the Japanese Army invade China and overtake the school. Life at first carries on steadily but there are new rules, rations and everything is suddenly very scary particularly for the children. Life becomes even more unbearable and bleak when all at The Chefoo School is moved to an internment camp. The children now not so much managed by their teacher but more managed by fear of the guards for example.
There is a whole host of wonderful characters here all of whom seemed very real and jumped off the page. Besides, Elspeth their are her colleagues, the students and even Eric Liddell a British Olympian who was also at the camp and provided a great source of inspiration and courage for the children.
Then of course there are the wonderful, remarkable resilient children, including Nancy Plummer. She is at The Chefoo School with her brother as their parents are missionaries. All that Nancy seems to think about is seeing her Mother again and she fears that her memory and image is fading from her mind. Also there are Nancy's eclectic friends, Mouse and Sprout.
I ashamedly have known little about the Japanese Internment camps and I plan to now go on and educate myself further. This novel is steeped in historical research and is woven into the narrative of our characters with great skill and tenderness by the author.
This book deals with a serious subject matter but it is quite clear that it is also a story of hope and resilience. Whilst times were at the worst the members of The Chefoo School stood together sometimes in defiance even and they always, always planned to go home. Using all of the skills of from the Brownies and Girl Guides they forge ahead.
This book made me ache with sadness but it also had me in tears of joy. There were so many wonderful bits, references and symbolism of happier times and a reminder that you can never truly put a cage around who wishes to be free and that freedom is a state of mind and not a state of being. It is still possible for beauty to grow in the most dire situations and when it seems the least unlikely.
The writing from the author is sublime, the message is brilliant. The story is never twee, and the history remains intact. This book is up there with the best I have read this year and quite possibly ever. It is honestly, honestly magnificent.
About the Author:
Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today,
and Irish Times, bestselling author of historical fiction, including
her debut THE GIRL WHO CAME HOME, for which she received
the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award. THE
LIGHTHOUSE KEEPER'S DAUGHTER was shortlisted for the 2019
HWA Gold Crown award. She is published in thirteen languages
and nineteen countries. Hazel is co-founder of creative writing
events, The Inspiration Project, and currently lives in Ireland with
her family, though originally from Yorkshire.
You can find Hazel on Twitter: @HazelGaynor or on her website: www.hazelgaynor.com
Please also have a look at the other stops on the blog tour.
Huge thanks for this blog tour support Leah xx
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