Publication
New York, NY : William Morrow, an imprint of HarperCollinsPublishers, [2020]
Collection
Call number
Fiction G
Physical description
422 p.; 21 cm
Status
Available
Call number
Description
Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML: "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 terrib… (more)
Subjects
User reviews
LibraryThing member thornton37814
When we read books about children in World War II, they often deal with the internment camps in the United States, sending children to the countryside in England, or evacuating Jewish children to other countries. Hazel Gaynor presented a fresh focus by concentrating on a group of children studying
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at a school sponsored by the China Inland Mission. Most children belonged to diplomats or missionaries--mostly British but some Americans and other nationalities. When Japan declared war on the United States, they were already occupying parts of China, and moved in quickly to take over the school, placing Japanese ownership signs on everything. The children were able to stay there for a short time, but were moved to another location in Chefoo. Eventually they were sent to an internment camp in Weihsien where they remained for the duration. The story is told through the eyes of one of the girls and one of the teachers. I loved this book and cried in several places. I received an advance reader's copy through LibraryThing Early Reviewers in exchange for an honest review. Show Less
LibraryThing member sue222
This was an Early Reviewer Book which I very much enjoyed. Although it is yet another World War II book, it is set in China instead of Europe or Japan, and tells the story of missionary school children who are caught up in the turmoil and terror of war. I highly recommend it to readers who are
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looking for a different type of war story from the European spy thrillers that seem to be everywhere these days. Show Less
LibraryThing member TimBazzett
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE is a most enjoyable read, and I did indeed enjoy the story, although probably not nearly as much as my wife, who confiscated it the day it arrived in the mail and read it very quickly over the next few days, exclaiming aloud to herself frequently and even weeping a few
Taylor's story, much of it based on real events, characters and places (British Olympian, Eric Liddell plays an important role; and the Chefoo School was a very real place, as was the Weihsien prison camp), is an ambitious undertaking, marvelously realized. She has done her homework (read her Behind the Book endnotes) and created some strong, memorable characters, especially in Elspeth an Nancy. There are some shocking scenes of cruelty at the hands of their Japanese captors, but there is also kindness, bravery and incredible resilience on display, as Miss Kent leads her young charges into young womanhood, as teacher, confidante, and also as Girl Guide leader - because the Guide Handbook plays an impotent role throughout their years-long ordeal.
While reading WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE, I was often reminded of J.G. Ballard 's EMPIRE OF THE SON, a novel (and also film) which I enjoyed immensely many years ago, so I was not surprised to find it in a list of books that Gaynor found important in her research of that place and time.
My wife loved this book, so definitely five stars from her. I loved it too, but thought it slow and redundant in a few places, and wished it had been shortened and tightened up a bit. So, four and a half stars. But we both enjoyed the book enough that we may try another book or two from this talented, prolific author. Very highly recommended.
Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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times. I mention this because I think I understand. Because Hazel Gaynor has written this book (as she apparently did her earlier books, which I have not read) for a female readership. Indeed, the two primary narrators here are a Woman and a girl. Elspeth Kent is a thirty-ish school teacher from Yorkshire whose fiance was killed in a mine. Heartbroken, she takes a job at a Christian mission school in China, where, along with the whole school, she is imprisoned by the Japanese army in the days following Pearl Harbor. During their four-year internment in two different camps, she forms special bonds, with a fellow teacher, and with three special girls. One of those girls is Nancy Plummer, who provides the second point-of-view, as we watch her mature from ten to fourteen under very severe and austere conditions. Taylor's story, much of it based on real events, characters and places (British Olympian, Eric Liddell plays an important role; and the Chefoo School was a very real place, as was the Weihsien prison camp), is an ambitious undertaking, marvelously realized. She has done her homework (read her Behind the Book endnotes) and created some strong, memorable characters, especially in Elspeth an Nancy. There are some shocking scenes of cruelty at the hands of their Japanese captors, but there is also kindness, bravery and incredible resilience on display, as Miss Kent leads her young charges into young womanhood, as teacher, confidante, and also as Girl Guide leader - because the Guide Handbook plays an impotent role throughout their years-long ordeal.
While reading WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE, I was often reminded of J.G. Ballard 's EMPIRE OF THE SON, a novel (and also film) which I enjoyed immensely many years ago, so I was not surprised to find it in a list of books that Gaynor found important in her research of that place and time.
My wife loved this book, so definitely five stars from her. I loved it too, but thought it slow and redundant in a few places, and wished it had been shortened and tightened up a bit. So, four and a half stars. But we both enjoyed the book enough that we may try another book or two from this talented, prolific author. Very highly recommended.
Tim Bazzett, author of the memoir, BOOKLOVER
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LibraryThing member Gingersnap000
When We Were Young and Brave is another brilliant historic fiction written by Hazel Gaynor. This novel is based on an actual incident that happened to a group of brave and resilient children and teachers from a Mission School in Chefoo, China. During the pandemic, I have read over two dozen books
I remember fondly my days of being a Brownie and Girl Scout and how the organization empowered me into becoming a better citizen and woman. I understand completely how those lessons of the Scouts keep them from falling apart during such conditions. Their Scout leaders were the heart and soul of the school and help the students through the difficult times in a prisoner of war camp. The story brought to mind the PBS, Tenko, about a group of Ex-Pat European living in Singapore during WWII who are taken prisioners by the Japanese. I could vividly imagine the conditions of the children and their teachers.
This book can be enjoyed by both adults and young adults.
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and this one affected me the most emotionally. A good deal of the book revolves around the strength the girl student received from their Brownie leaders. The teaching of the Girl Guides helps them through horrific times. I remember fondly my days of being a Brownie and Girl Scout and how the organization empowered me into becoming a better citizen and woman. I understand completely how those lessons of the Scouts keep them from falling apart during such conditions. Their Scout leaders were the heart and soul of the school and help the students through the difficult times in a prisoner of war camp. The story brought to mind the PBS, Tenko, about a group of Ex-Pat European living in Singapore during WWII who are taken prisioners by the Japanese. I could vividly imagine the conditions of the children and their teachers.
This book can be enjoyed by both adults and young adults.
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LibraryThing member KarenHerndon
This was an early reviewer free book. Thank you.
I really loved this book.
It was extremely well written, though a bit slow, and just a sad, lovely story.
For those who like historical fiction I highly recommend it.
I really loved this book.
It was extremely well written, though a bit slow, and just a sad, lovely story.
For those who like historical fiction I highly recommend it.
LibraryThing member wagner.sarah35
*I received a copy of this book through LibraryThing Early Reviewers.*
Plenty of WWII-era historical fiction centers around the war in Europe, but this novel focuses on the experiences of British and American schoolchildren in China. Told from the alternating perspectives of a young schoolgirl and
Plenty of WWII-era historical fiction centers around the war in Europe, but this novel focuses on the experiences of British and American schoolchildren in China. Told from the alternating perspectives of a young schoolgirl and
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one of her teachers, the book chronicles the deteriorating living conditions of the group as the Japanese army arrives at their school and they are forced to relocate to an internment camp. Watched and sometimes brutalized by their guards, the group manages to hold each other together as their situation worsens. I've read a few of this author's other novels and while I couldn't say this is my favorite of her works, I do think she manages to capture something close to the experience these people lived through. I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fiction about WWII. Show Less
LibraryThing member MomMom46
With thanks to LibraryThing for the chance to read and review When We Were Young and Brave. It is the story of a school in northern China for the children of diplomats and missionaries, whose lives change dramatically after Pearl Harbor when they became political prisoners of the Japanese. I never
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knew much about this aspect of World War II and was looking forward to this book. It was interesting but I didn’t especially care for it. I hate to complain but I would not recommend it to other readers. Show Less
LibraryThing member jillrhudy
In "When We Were Young and Brave," Nancy is a Girl Guide, and her teacher/Guide leader/stand-in mother is Elspeth. They are in a Christian missionary school in China for American and British children (both girls and boys, being instructed separately), when World War II breaks out and they all
The novel mostly switches back and forth between the perspectives of Nancy and Elspeth. When the Japanese take over their beloved school, the teachers and students are first relocated to a very dilapidated set of abandoned buildings. Just when they have made life nearly bearable, they are forced to walk to an internment camp by Japanese soldiers, some of whom seem nice, considering they are imprisoning and starving hundreds of people. The officers in charge are evil, and one of them is stalking Elspeth..
The novel, which covers the entire war, is also a bildungsroman taking Nancy from girlhood to adulthood. At times, the pat, Hail-Britannia stiff-upper lip theme became irritating. Mostly, however, I was absorbed in the story line, which is well plotted with only a few slow interludes. The determination of the women and girls to survive using nothing but determination, resourcefulness, and principle almost leaped off the page in some chapters. Gaynor's character development is fairly solid throughout, so if you are looking for engaging characters to accompany to fictional wartime hell and back, this book may be a good choice. Teachers who like historical fiction may like the depiction of education against almost impossible odds.
A rebellious librarian character, Edwina Trevellyan, who is Scottish, was my favorite. Edwina provides a more worldly influence than the teachers as the schoolgirls become women and start asking "improper" questions. This pulls against the book's puritanical bent with the constant "A Guide always does this" and "A Guide never does that.". Some bad stuff is permitted to happen despite everyone's amazing British character and there are lasting scars. At least one of the students breaks bad and does what Guides Never Do in order to ensure her survival, which is another touch of realism that the novel badly needs in my opinion.
Edwina demonstrates that sometimes it takes more than a stiff upper lip to survive, and by the time the camp was liberated in 1945, I was ready to give the book four stars. Unfortunately, Gaynor added several endings in an attempt to pull on my heartstrings. This tactic was so obvious that it nearly spoiled the book for me, but I identified very much, in different ways, with Elspeth and Edwina.
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become trapped under Japanese occupation.The novel mostly switches back and forth between the perspectives of Nancy and Elspeth. When the Japanese take over their beloved school, the teachers and students are first relocated to a very dilapidated set of abandoned buildings. Just when they have made life nearly bearable, they are forced to walk to an internment camp by Japanese soldiers, some of whom seem nice, considering they are imprisoning and starving hundreds of people. The officers in charge are evil, and one of them is stalking Elspeth..
The novel, which covers the entire war, is also a bildungsroman taking Nancy from girlhood to adulthood. At times, the pat, Hail-Britannia stiff-upper lip theme became irritating. Mostly, however, I was absorbed in the story line, which is well plotted with only a few slow interludes. The determination of the women and girls to survive using nothing but determination, resourcefulness, and principle almost leaped off the page in some chapters. Gaynor's character development is fairly solid throughout, so if you are looking for engaging characters to accompany to fictional wartime hell and back, this book may be a good choice. Teachers who like historical fiction may like the depiction of education against almost impossible odds.
A rebellious librarian character, Edwina Trevellyan, who is Scottish, was my favorite. Edwina provides a more worldly influence than the teachers as the schoolgirls become women and start asking "improper" questions. This pulls against the book's puritanical bent with the constant "A Guide always does this" and "A Guide never does that.". Some bad stuff is permitted to happen despite everyone's amazing British character and there are lasting scars. At least one of the students breaks bad and does what Guides Never Do in order to ensure her survival, which is another touch of realism that the novel badly needs in my opinion.
Edwina demonstrates that sometimes it takes more than a stiff upper lip to survive, and by the time the camp was liberated in 1945, I was ready to give the book four stars. Unfortunately, Gaynor added several endings in an attempt to pull on my heartstrings. This tactic was so obvious that it nearly spoiled the book for me, but I identified very much, in different ways, with Elspeth and Edwina.
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LibraryThing member mplantenga11
This was an excellent book. I got this through the Early Reviewers program and was so excited because I enjoyed A Memory of Violets by Hazel Gaynor so I knew I already liked Hazel's writing style. I am a big fan of historical fiction set in the WW2 era but had never read or heard of anything like
The way Hazel wrote about the daily lives of these prisoners, in a raw and unfiltered way, made me appreciate how awful the conditions truly were. I was constantly cheering on Elspeth and Nancy and it was so gratifying at the end when they reunite and Elspeth admits that ultimately it was the children she had to look after that got her through those horrible times.
Overall, this was a wonderful book and one that I will definitely be loaning out to my friends who are also WW2 historical fiction fans.
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what is portrayed in this novel. I had no idea that there were POW camps in Japan that housed Allied civilians. The way Hazel wrote about the daily lives of these prisoners, in a raw and unfiltered way, made me appreciate how awful the conditions truly were. I was constantly cheering on Elspeth and Nancy and it was so gratifying at the end when they reunite and Elspeth admits that ultimately it was the children she had to look after that got her through those horrible times.
Overall, this was a wonderful book and one that I will definitely be loaning out to my friends who are also WW2 historical fiction fans.
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LibraryThing member beckyhaase
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE – by Hazel Gaynor
Based on real people in real peril, this book follows Nancy, an eight-year-old student, and Elspeth Kent, a teacher at the Chefoo (China) School from 1939-1945. When the book begins, both Nancy and Elspeth are new arrivals at the school for children
When the Japanese occupy the school, life for both students and teachers abruptly changes. The book centers on how the teachers help the children cope with their very changed circumstances. Well researched and well written the story is compelling and full of incidents that portray life as “guests” of Imperial Japan from Temple Hill to Weihsein Internment Camp. Olympic medalist Eric Liddell was also interned atWeihsein and became one of the children’s teachers.
The grit and perseverance of both and adults is starkly shown without excess reliance on graphic details. Book groups will find much to discuss. Older children and their parents in a combined book group would find this book absorbing and thought provoking.
5 of 5 stars
Based on real people in real peril, this book follows Nancy, an eight-year-old student, and Elspeth Kent, a teacher at the Chefoo (China) School from 1939-1945. When the book begins, both Nancy and Elspeth are new arrivals at the school for children
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of missionaries and diplomats. The students are expected to study hard and make their way to colleges like Oxford and Harvard at the completion of their school years. When the Japanese occupy the school, life for both students and teachers abruptly changes. The book centers on how the teachers help the children cope with their very changed circumstances. Well researched and well written the story is compelling and full of incidents that portray life as “guests” of Imperial Japan from Temple Hill to Weihsein Internment Camp. Olympic medalist Eric Liddell was also interned atWeihsein and became one of the children’s teachers.
The grit and perseverance of both and adults is starkly shown without excess reliance on graphic details. Book groups will find much to discuss. Older children and their parents in a combined book group would find this book absorbing and thought provoking.
5 of 5 stars
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LibraryThing member aardvark2
When a school in China for the children of missionairies and diplomats (mostly English, American, and Australian) is taken over by the invading Japanese early in World War II, hardship and deprivation are tempered by the courage and hope of the teachers and students. The focus is mainly on a group
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of Girl Guides at the school, and the Guide principles their leaders encourage them to live by. Throughout their occupation during the war, they grow from young girls to teenagers, dealing with the changes of puberty and the increasing cruelty of their captors. Throughout it all, they find beauty in nature and the kindness of other humans, including the Chinese and even one of the Japanese soldiers. This is a powerful story that will stay in your mind long after you close the book. Show Less
LibraryThing member mpmills
Elspeth Kent, heartbroken over the death of her fiancé, takes a teaching job in China at a Christian mission school. Nancy Plummer, age 10, is enrolled in the school because of her parent’s missionary work. When war is declared against England and Japan, our narrators and 100 other children and
This story is based on actual events that happened. The hardships and horror these children had to endure was heartbreaking. The story was also inspiring in that the children adapted and survived. I loved this story about part of WWII I knew little about. Good book!
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faculty had to endure 4 years of internment camps. This story is based on actual events that happened. The hardships and horror these children had to endure was heartbreaking. The story was also inspiring in that the children adapted and survived. I loved this story about part of WWII I knew little about. Good book!
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LibraryThing member ang709
This was an interesting book with likeable characters. I enjoyed the dynamic between the teachers and the students: the way the teachers cared for and looked after the students while the students gave purpose and hope to the teachers. I also found the end very moving.
I wish there had been an
I would have liked the storyline about Meihua to have been developed a bit more. It provided some moments of danger, but it didn't provide the level of character growth I expected.
Though the story indicates that the first sunflower seed sprouted and grew, I wonder why no mention was made as to whether any of the other ones sprouted.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early read, since though I'd originally won this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers, I never received my copy.
I wish there had been an
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author's note at the end as I find them to be a nice complement to historical fiction novels.I would have liked the storyline about Meihua to have been developed a bit more. It provided some moments of danger, but it didn't provide the level of character growth I expected.
Though the story indicates that the first sunflower seed sprouted and grew, I wonder why no mention was made as to whether any of the other ones sprouted.
Overall I enjoyed this novel and would recommend it to anyone who likes historical fiction.
Thank you to NetGalley for the early read, since though I'd originally won this from LibraryThing Early Reviewers, I never received my copy.
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LibraryThing member SilversReviews
Nancy Plummer was hoping to go home for Christmas, but her mother wrote she wouldn't be able to.
Elspeth Kent was hoping to hand in her resignation, but wasn't able to.
What kept them from their wishes is that in 1941 the Japanese army took over their British-run school, Chefoo, after Pearl Harbor
The students and teachers were confined to the premises for a year and then made to move to another school. The new school was in terrible condition, but they made the best of it and hoped every day that they would be rescued by their countrymen.
After being moved to the second school, they were again moved but to a camp. Life was pretty normal except for being kept inside with guards and the lack of sanitation and food.
The book is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Nancy a student and Elspeth a teacher.
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE is based on true events which I never was aware of, but it shows the resiliency and creativity of human nature to work with what you have.
Ms. Gaynor portrayed the characters perfectly, and you could feel what they were feeling.
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE was a bit slow at first, but once you get to know the characters, you will be drawn in as I was.
This book is about friendship, courage, hope, and endurance. It is a beautiful book that will have you appreciating your freedom and your family.
Miss Gaynor’s meticulous research had me looking for more information about the lives of the teachers and students and more about the Chefoo school. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Elspeth Kent was hoping to hand in her resignation, but wasn't able to.
What kept them from their wishes is that in 1941 the Japanese army took over their British-run school, Chefoo, after Pearl Harbor
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was bombed.The students and teachers were confined to the premises for a year and then made to move to another school. The new school was in terrible condition, but they made the best of it and hoped every day that they would be rescued by their countrymen.
After being moved to the second school, they were again moved but to a camp. Life was pretty normal except for being kept inside with guards and the lack of sanitation and food.
The book is told in alternating chapters from the perspectives of Nancy a student and Elspeth a teacher.
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE is based on true events which I never was aware of, but it shows the resiliency and creativity of human nature to work with what you have.
Ms. Gaynor portrayed the characters perfectly, and you could feel what they were feeling.
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE was a bit slow at first, but once you get to know the characters, you will be drawn in as I was.
This book is about friendship, courage, hope, and endurance. It is a beautiful book that will have you appreciating your freedom and your family.
Miss Gaynor’s meticulous research had me looking for more information about the lives of the teachers and students and more about the Chefoo school. 4/5
This book was given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.
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LibraryThing member MEENIEREADS
The Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor in December of 1941. Almost immediately the net of captivity was dropped by them throughout Asia.
Thousands upon thousands of men woman and children were incarcerated from that time until August of 1945 when the Japanese finally surrendered This is a novel based on
Eric Liddell a true historical character who won an Olympic medal for running(Chariots of Fire) is briefly a prisoner there and is a marvelous source of inspiration to all.
I have had an interest in this part of World War two history since the 1980's when on the old A&E network for a year I faithfully watched the series,TENKO about many woman of multiple nationalities in a prisoner of war camp near Singapore.
In the afterward the author mentions watching this series as a girl with her mum in England!
I truly loved this book of hardship,friendship and love under awful circumstances.
.
Thousands upon thousands of men woman and children were incarcerated from that time until August of 1945 when the Japanese finally surrendered This is a novel based on
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real happenings to the mostly English children of missionaries and their teachers at a boarding school for them in Chefoo,China. We live this experience through 3 young girls,Plum,Mouse and Sprout nicknames they gave each other. It is also the story of their two incredible teachers,Elsbeth Kent and Minnie Butterworth. With bravery and determination they try everyday in three different prisoner situations to make the children's lives as normal as possible. Maintaining the strict rules of polite interaction and kindness toward one another. Also there was a heavy reliance on their troop of Girl Guides membership(Like Girl Scouts)and its rules and structures. This gave the girls and their teachers a noble thing and purpose to strive for.Eric Liddell a true historical character who won an Olympic medal for running(Chariots of Fire) is briefly a prisoner there and is a marvelous source of inspiration to all.
I have had an interest in this part of World War two history since the 1980's when on the old A&E network for a year I faithfully watched the series,TENKO about many woman of multiple nationalities in a prisoner of war camp near Singapore.
In the afterward the author mentions watching this series as a girl with her mum in England!
I truly loved this book of hardship,friendship and love under awful circumstances.
.
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LibraryThing member debs4jc
A powerful story of the human spirit and community bonds enabling people to survive. I
LibraryThing member sensitivemuse
Story bounces back and forth between Elspeth and Nancy. I'd have to say I prefer Elspeth's point of view because she had tried so hard to put on a brave face for the girls and to maintain good morale and at least some semblance of normality in what would be an extremely difficult and horrible
Storyline was alright but did seem to drag in some parts and writing style was a bit dry. It may appeal for historical fiction lovers out there. Those new to the genre, maybe not.
Loved the historical notes about the Girl Guides at the end of the book. Very informative and helpful!
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situation for children and adults alike. Nancy was quite mature for her age (understandable as she couldn't really act like a normal girl under these circumstances) and her storyline was alright but it was nice to see two different points of view showing two different aspects of strength. Storyline was alright but did seem to drag in some parts and writing style was a bit dry. It may appeal for historical fiction lovers out there. Those new to the genre, maybe not.
Loved the historical notes about the Girl Guides at the end of the book. Very informative and helpful!
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LibraryThing member bookchickdi
There are a lot of WWII novels, but Hazel Gaynor’s When We Were Young & Brave tackles a different aspect. Her story is set in a Japanese Army internment camp in China, where a British school’s students and teachers are being held. The bravery of the teachers protecting the children is the best
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of humanity. Fans of Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale should pick this one up. Show Less
LibraryThing member SamSattler
I was drawn to Hazel Gaynor’s When We Were Young & Brave because of the novel’s focus on a facet of World War II I’ve read so little about: what happened to the expatriate school children who were suddenly trapped in countries like China after Japan declared war against the US and Britain.
Gaynor begins with a 1975 prologue written by Nancy, a forty-something-year-old woman who is looking back on her experiences as a ten-year-old student in the Chefoo School more than thirty years earlier. The rest of the story is told in alternating flashback chapters written from the points of view of Nancy, the child, and Elspeth, one of the school’s young teachers.
“…our war wasn’t one of battles and bombs. Ours was a war of everyday struggles; of hope versus despair, of courage against fear, strength over frailty. For all the time we spent under the control of the Japanese regime, without any certainty of when — if — it would end, not one of us could be sure which side would win. So we simply went on, rising and falling with each sunrise and sunset; forever lost, until we were found.” (page 242)
The story begins in December 1941 when Nancy is only ten years old. She and her best friends, Sprout and Mouse, by this time have already been separated from their parents (missionaries working hundreds of miles away in inland China) for the better part of a year. All told, 124 children have remained at school for the Christmas holidays, along with a handful of teachers and missionaries, because the Sino-Japanese war has made it so dangerous to travel across the country to their parents. According to the headmaster, the boys and girls are composed of “ninety British, three Canadians, five Australians, two South Africans, eighteen Americans, three Norwegians, and three Dutch.” Most of the students began their internment as children; by the time they are rescued in August, 1945, they would be young adults.
Over the four years of their confinement by the Japanese army, the children and their teachers experience a steady decline in housing conditions, medical treatment, and food quantity and quality. No matter how bad things get, however, the dedicated teachers and staff, who continue to school them on a daily basis, manage to shelter the children from truly understanding the fragility of their existence. For almost five years, the courageous teachers substitute for the parents that are missing in the lives of these children who, by the end of 1945, can barely even remember life at home with their families.
Bottom Line: When We Were Young & Brave is a touching and inspirational story about a small group of students and teachers suddenly placed into a life-or-death situation for which they are totally unprepared. Their reality changes from one day to the next, but they find a way to cope with whatever is thrust upon them. However, despite the atrocities they suffer over the years, Gaynor tells their story in a way that seldom leaves the reader with a real sense of the terror and brutality of life in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. When We Were Young & Brave has more the feel of a good YA novel than one written for adults looking for an understanding of what the experience was really like for those who experienced it.
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Gaynor’s novel explores what happens to the mostly British students at the China Inland Mission School after that school for the children of missionaries and diplomats falls under the control of China’s Japanese invaders. Gaynor begins with a 1975 prologue written by Nancy, a forty-something-year-old woman who is looking back on her experiences as a ten-year-old student in the Chefoo School more than thirty years earlier. The rest of the story is told in alternating flashback chapters written from the points of view of Nancy, the child, and Elspeth, one of the school’s young teachers.
“…our war wasn’t one of battles and bombs. Ours was a war of everyday struggles; of hope versus despair, of courage against fear, strength over frailty. For all the time we spent under the control of the Japanese regime, without any certainty of when — if — it would end, not one of us could be sure which side would win. So we simply went on, rising and falling with each sunrise and sunset; forever lost, until we were found.” (page 242)
The story begins in December 1941 when Nancy is only ten years old. She and her best friends, Sprout and Mouse, by this time have already been separated from their parents (missionaries working hundreds of miles away in inland China) for the better part of a year. All told, 124 children have remained at school for the Christmas holidays, along with a handful of teachers and missionaries, because the Sino-Japanese war has made it so dangerous to travel across the country to their parents. According to the headmaster, the boys and girls are composed of “ninety British, three Canadians, five Australians, two South Africans, eighteen Americans, three Norwegians, and three Dutch.” Most of the students began their internment as children; by the time they are rescued in August, 1945, they would be young adults.
Over the four years of their confinement by the Japanese army, the children and their teachers experience a steady decline in housing conditions, medical treatment, and food quantity and quality. No matter how bad things get, however, the dedicated teachers and staff, who continue to school them on a daily basis, manage to shelter the children from truly understanding the fragility of their existence. For almost five years, the courageous teachers substitute for the parents that are missing in the lives of these children who, by the end of 1945, can barely even remember life at home with their families.
Bottom Line: When We Were Young & Brave is a touching and inspirational story about a small group of students and teachers suddenly placed into a life-or-death situation for which they are totally unprepared. Their reality changes from one day to the next, but they find a way to cope with whatever is thrust upon them. However, despite the atrocities they suffer over the years, Gaynor tells their story in a way that seldom leaves the reader with a real sense of the terror and brutality of life in a Japanese prisoner of war camp. When We Were Young & Brave has more the feel of a good YA novel than one written for adults looking for an understanding of what the experience was really like for those who experienced it.
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LibraryThing member khoyt
Truly an amazing story. Of all the WWII novels I have read, this is the first one that has taken place in mainland China. I had never really thought about that part of the world war. Hazel Gaynor has outdone herself throughout the pages of this story. You cannot help but become involved in the
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lives of the captives and their desperate circumstances. I know there are so many stories from this era all over the world. I am ever so glad that she has made the effort to educate us about this corner of the world where so much was going on. Hazel Gaynor's prose wrapped you up in the love, grief, friendships, and kindness amid pain and suffering. I highly recommend it! Show Less
LibraryThing member nyiper
Wonderfully descriptive even with Gaynor admitting to using her imagination instead of completely factual material in places, of course. It was wonderful to have an evolution over time of what became of some of the main characters in the story. Truly frighteningly horrible circumstances---what good
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does war do for anyone? Show Less
LibraryThing member vintagebeckie
When We Were Young And Brave is a fictional account of real life events surrounding the Chefoo School in China during the Japanese occupation in WWII. The Japanese took control of the British-run missionary school in December of 1941. At first the school continued, albeit with a number of
Very Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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restrictions and privations. But soon the Japanese moved the teachers and students from one place to another until they were in an internment camp. The bravery, resiliency, and dogged will to survive beautifully unfolds under the masterful hand of Hazel Gaynor. I have read a few of Gaynor’s novels, but in my opinion this one surpasses them all. The rich historical detail brought this reader into a place and time I knew little about. The story is told through two points of view, Elspeth, a teacher with the school, and Nancy a young student. Their voices told the story with depth and meaning. There are hard things in this book — the cruelty of the Japanese guards, the horrible treatment of the Chinese population, the near starvation conditions, and extreme hygienic neglect — but there are moments of hope and perseverance. A sunflower growing in an unlikely spot, the Girl Guides program the young girls clung to, the many kindnesses between prisoners — all brought a sense that life would some day return to normal. I admit to Googling to find out what was fact and fiction and found that Gaynor presented an accurate and moving look into the historical events. This book will stay with me a long time. I just wish I had read it with a book club — it certainly demands discussion. A general market offering, When We Were Young And Brave is a clean read, but as I said, with some very realistic depictions of what really went on in the camps. I rate it a very highly recommended read! Specific to the audiobook: the two narrators were excellent! I found they brought an authenticity to the two characters.Very Highly Recommended.
Audience: Adults.
(I purchased the audiobook from Audible. All opinions expressed are mine alone.)
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LibraryThing member riofriotex
I won When We Were Young and Brave from Library Thing's Early Reviewer program back in June 2020, but never received a copy from the publisher (William Morrow). It still appeared on my Not Reviewed list (I've been an Early Reviewer since November 2007), so I checked my libraries and borrowed and
This historical fiction novel is based on the real-life World War II events at the Chefoo School, a Protestant boarding school for children of foreign missionaries, diplomats, and businessmen in China. Most were British, but some were American or other nationalities. The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese soldiers start to take over the school. Eventually the students and staff are moved to a local internment site, and then a camp much further away, where they stayed until liberated just after the war's end.
The story is alternately told by two main fictional characters: Elspeth Kent, one of the teachers, who originally came to the school to get away from her British home and memories of a lost love there; and Nancy Plummer, one of the students, who is the daughter of two missionaries and is ten when the story starts.
I particularly enjoyed the incorporation of the Girl Guides (the British version of the Girl Scouts) into the novel. Elspeth and fellow teacher Minnie Butterworth are the leaders of a group of Guides that includes Nancy and her friends and female classmates. The continuance of their Guide activities throughout their ordeal gives them all strength. That, and the setting in China, made this a refreshing, non-typical World War II story.
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read the e-book this month.This historical fiction novel is based on the real-life World War II events at the Chefoo School, a Protestant boarding school for children of foreign missionaries, diplomats, and businessmen in China. Most were British, but some were American or other nationalities. The day after the Pearl Harbor attack, Japanese soldiers start to take over the school. Eventually the students and staff are moved to a local internment site, and then a camp much further away, where they stayed until liberated just after the war's end.
The story is alternately told by two main fictional characters: Elspeth Kent, one of the teachers, who originally came to the school to get away from her British home and memories of a lost love there; and Nancy Plummer, one of the students, who is the daughter of two missionaries and is ten when the story starts.
I particularly enjoyed the incorporation of the Girl Guides (the British version of the Girl Scouts) into the novel. Elspeth and fellow teacher Minnie Butterworth are the leaders of a group of Guides that includes Nancy and her friends and female classmates. The continuance of their Guide activities throughout their ordeal gives them all strength. That, and the setting in China, made this a refreshing, non-typical World War II story.
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LibraryThing member heatherdhahn
Heartbreaking and beautiful. Every time I read about WWII, I learn more about what happened all over the world and how awful it truly was. Every place has a story of heroism and sadness. This book and these characters will stay with me for a long time. I loved Elspeth, Nancy, Sprout, Mouse and Mrs.
Thank you to LibraryThing for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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T. Each brought some light and joy to the story and the dealing of being a prisoner during WWII. Thank you to LibraryThing for the copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
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Awards
Irish Book Award (Nominee — Popular Fiction — 2020)
Language
ISBN
9780062995261