Women in war—Internment by the Japanese 1942-45.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris   

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A fitting tribute to the women interred by the Japanese in Indonesia and Malaya during 1942 until liberation in 1945.

Amongst the internees are a group of Australian Army nurses who were not given recognition by the Japanese as members of the armed forces and therefore not prisoners of war according to the Conventions of war. Sister Vivian Bullwinkle is the only survivor of the massacre of a group of soldiers and nurses on Radji Beach, Bangka Island near Sumatra  in 1942, after the sinking of HMS Vyner Brooke.

There are a number of civilian prisoners in the camps like Norah Chambers and her sister Ena. 

Combined, the story of these women interred under terrible conditions, their struggles and achievements are monumental. Their gifts to their fellows beyond speech. Music plays an important part in uplifting the prisoners’ spirits.

It’s truly a privilege to read about their plight, their vows to each other, and their bravery.

This book charters the human dimension of these women’s strengths, their relationships,  the hardships endured, and their hopes, even as they fought to survive.

A St. Martin’s Press ARC invite via NetGalley.                                              

Many thanks to the author and publisher