A review by kaloughl
When We Were Young & Brave by Hazel Gaynor
4.0
Perhaps I was in a sappy mood but this heartwarming (and heart wrenching) story of schoolchildren and their teachers in an internment camp in China during WWII had me tearing up all over. This is the type of historical fiction I usually jump all over but have found less satisfying in recently. This felt like the turnaround I needed. The story follows two main characters, young Nancy Plummer who is a student and Brownie/Girl Guide, and her teacher and troupe leader Elspeth Kent. The hardships the school group went through over their four years of imprisonment were immense but they had impressive resolve. Despite nutritional setbacks, threats of rape and violence, and the loss of friends, they persevered. They both helped each other (and those around them) survive and the forged mother/daughter/caretaker bonds were beautiful.
I started skeptically because this story involved a school for the children of white foreigners who were in China for missionary work. Religious colonization didn't sound so good to me and I was anticipating a white centered story that completely ostracized the culture they were surrounded by. I was pleasantly surprised by Gaynor's attempt to encompass everyone and everything happening around the Chefoo School and Weihsien camp. There was acknowledgement that life was a certain way within school and camp and that it didn't really count as seeing or appreciating China. There were some stronger Chinese and Japanese characters though they did play a very supporting role as servant or guards and there was a little bit of white saviorism. While the white central characters got a good plot arc that ended happily, I wish we could've seen a little more about all other characters in the end - especially Wei Huan and Shu Lan.
I enjoyed having both Nancy and Miss Kent's perspectives. I think it really brought their powerful relationship to life, especially since their physical and emotional bond may not have been as evident in interactions. While the progression of perspective was linear, there was also inclusion of Nancy's 1975 perspective sprinkled throughout and then finally concluding with it. I really enjoyed the jump forward in the end but thought the previous inclusions of this perspective were unnecessary. I think it would have added to the suspense a little more if we didn't necessarily know Nancy ended up alright on the other side. Also, there was once deviance to include Mouse's perspective. This was to help a specific plot point. While I have no argument against the validity of hearing things from Mouse, I almost wish we'd seen more of her or none at all to keep the book more streamlined.
All in all, I was surprisingly uplifted by this book. It was heavy at parts but in the end made my heart soar and I got a much needed cry. I had always had Hazel Gaynor on my TBR and am glad to finally experience her. I will be reading more!
I won an ARC of this book through a giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and William Morrow for the opportunity.
I started skeptically because this story involved a school for the children of white foreigners who were in China for missionary work. Religious colonization didn't sound so good to me and I was anticipating a white centered story that completely ostracized the culture they were surrounded by. I was pleasantly surprised by Gaynor's attempt to encompass everyone and everything happening around the Chefoo School and Weihsien camp. There was acknowledgement that life was a certain way within school and camp and that it didn't really count as seeing or appreciating China. There were some stronger Chinese and Japanese characters though they did play a very supporting role as servant or guards and there was a little bit of white saviorism. While the white central characters got a good plot arc that ended happily, I wish we could've seen a little more about all other characters in the end - especially Wei Huan and Shu Lan.
I enjoyed having both Nancy and Miss Kent's perspectives. I think it really brought their powerful relationship to life, especially since their physical and emotional bond may not have been as evident in interactions. While the progression of perspective was linear, there was also inclusion of Nancy's 1975 perspective sprinkled throughout and then finally concluding with it. I really enjoyed the jump forward in the end but thought the previous inclusions of this perspective were unnecessary. I think it would have added to the suspense a little more if we didn't necessarily know Nancy ended up alright on the other side. Also, there was once deviance to include Mouse's perspective. This was to help a specific plot point. While I have no argument against the validity of hearing things from Mouse, I almost wish we'd seen more of her or none at all to keep the book more streamlined.
All in all, I was surprisingly uplifted by this book. It was heavy at parts but in the end made my heart soar and I got a much needed cry. I had always had Hazel Gaynor on my TBR and am glad to finally experience her. I will be reading more!
I won an ARC of this book through a giveaway. Thank you to Goodreads and William Morrow for the opportunity.