The Forgotten Pearl

Timeslip #4

by Belinda Murrell

When Chloe visits her grandmother, she learns how close the Second World War came to destroying her family. Could the experiences of another time help Chloe to face her own problems?

In 1941, Poppy lives in Darwin, a peaceful paradise far from the war. But when Japan attacks Pearl Harbor, then Australia, everything Poppy holds dear is threatened - her family, her neighbours, her friends and her beloved pets. Her brother Edward is taken prisoner-of-war. Her home town becomes a war zone, as the Japanese raid over and over again.

Terrified for their lives, Poppy and her mother flee to Sydney, only to find that the danger follows them there. Poppy must face her war with courage and determination. Will her world ever be the same again?

Genres: Historical Fiction, Historical, Young Adult, Time Travel, Childrens, World War II, Teen

282 pages, Paperback

First published June 1, 2012

About the author

Belinda Murrell has worked as a travel journalist, technical writer, editor and public relations consultant. Her overseas adventures inspired her work as a travel writer for the West Australian newspaper and Out & About With Kids travel magazine. Her work has also appeared in the Sun Herald, Sunday Telegraph and Sydney Morning Herald. While Belinda studied Children's Literature at Macquarie University, her passion for children's books was reignited when she had her own three children and began telling and writing stories for Nick, Emily and Lachlan. Belinda's books include the Sun Sword fantasy trilogy, Scottish timeslip tale The Locket of Dreams, French Revolution timeslip tale The Ruby Talisman Australian timeslip tale The Ivory Rose and Australian historical tales The Forgotten Pearl and The River Charm.

Reviews

[Kate Forsyth · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most recent book by my beautiful sister, Belinda, The Forgotten Pearl is set in Darwin and Sydney during the Second World War. The heroine, Poppy, is a young girl who faces danger, loss, grief and new love during one of the most tumultuous times in Australian history. She lives through the bombing of Darwin and is evacuated to Sydney where she must learn to make a new life for herself. I always judge a book by whether it brings a prickle of tears to my eyes, and this book did that a number of times – a beautifully written historical novel for children set during a fascinating and largely forgotten period of Australian history.

[Jo Rowell · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading this book with my daughter (12). It gave us a taste of what it must have been like to grow up in Australia during the war by following a family living in Darwin. The writing was simple, but at the same time it introduced some difficult issues which prompting some interesting discussions between my daughter and I.

[Mrs Child · Rating 4 out of 5]

The story which is set in Darwin and Sydney is a gripping story of WWII. It describes what it was like for people living during that period. Delightful characters with sadness, suspense and happiness making it a memorable read.

[Dale · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting historical read and learnt much of the era from well researched facts used in the story.

[Kizzaisreading · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book with a passion! It’s only a small book so it isn’t too hard to finish within an hour or two but it has been one of my all time favourites for stand alone books. I recommend reading it at least once!

Filled with twists and lots of action, I never get bored reading it, and filled with enough sad and happy moments that you’ll be hooked. It’s about World War 2, and has actual historical facts of the Pearl Harbour bombings and so on.

Also worth mentioning that the character development isn’t rushed and that there is cultural diversity.

Honestly, reading it in Primary school and again now, it just makes me really appreciative of those whose lives were sacrificed for us. Lest we forget.
❤️
Brilliant work Belinda for this masterpiece.

[Sally906 · Rating 4 out of 5]

As the anniversary of the bombing of Darwin is approaching, February 19th, I was happy to find this book that is set in Darwin around the time of the bombing. I could feel the heat and humidity dripping off the pages and the descriptions of the town, the streets and different locations were vivid. There were the human touches too – the main one being Iris who worked at the post office; Iris bald was killed in the first air raid but for a moment she has come alive in the pages of THE FORGOTTEN PEARL. History has come alive and it is very readable. I could see the planes flying in and dropping their deadly cargo, hear the sirens, the explosions and the screams, feel the very fear of the characters.

I was very interested in the Japanese component of the story. The Japanese were our enemies at the time for sure, but author, Belinda Murrell, shows us the innocent victims when she introduced us to Shinju’s family. For three generations they have lived in Australia, they have Australian citizenship, yet this Japanese family is arrested and transported to an internment camp down in NSW. When the war was over many Japanese were forcibly deported to Japan – despite the fact that they had never ever been there. Too sad.

Poppy was the main character. At the start of THE FORGOTTEN PEARL she is a carefree young girl always getting into mischief, checking creeks for crocodiles before swimming, eating mangos right out of the tree, and looking after her menagerie of pets. At the end, after all she goes through poppy grows up and is a changed person, she is strong, brave with a desire to learn and right wrongs. In many ways the lifestyle in Darwin has not changed, sure it is a vibrant modern city now, but we are still laidback, multi-cultural and largely ignored by the rest of Australia. And we like it that way.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Australian historical fiction.

[Sarah Hodgson · Rating 5 out of 5]

an amazing book that transports the reader to Australia during WW2. could not put it down a sad but hopeful outlook on the war from Poppys point of view.

[Gabby · Rating 3 out of 5]

*2.5*

At the end of the day this felt like just another WW2 book which was informative but not fantastic. The narration felt quite strange since it went back and forth between POVs set now and set during the 1940s. What I felt was an important part of the story, was rushed through by being told through only a couple of letters. It then felt like the book went into detail on specific scenes that probably didn't need to happen. I did learn a few new things though so it wasn't a complete loss and I did enjoy reading about some of the characters but at the end of the day this is just not my type of book but if it seems like the type of book you'd like then I suppose you would enjoy it. :)

[Debra · Rating 3 out of 5]

Good story and good to raise the profile of the Darwin bombings. I have to say I didn't really like the style of writing, it seemed rather forced and it didn't flow for me I would have liked to learn more about the Japanese family and the "pearl" from the title because as it stands, the title is a bit disjointed from the story. However I learned much from the book that I didn't know about Australia and WWII which I always appreciate doing.

[Sharolyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

A lovely read. I found it easy to get through, enjoyable and after some dense 'non-fiction' lately this was a great reprieve. However I also learnt such a great deal about WW2 and Australia's involvement that I am a little ashamed to say was all completely new to me. I appreciated that although the story dealt with the horrors of war there was a good sense of resolution at the end. The description of life in Darwin pre-war was beautiful and has made me dream of a holiday up north.

[Madeline · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forgotten Pearl is probably my favourite of the Timeslip series so far. I was surprised to find myself learning things about Australia during WWI, especially Australia's shortcomings, and I hadn't ever given much thought to life in Darwin during the war. A very emotional story.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poppy is a loveable character to witness growing up with World War II in Darwin and Sydney as the back drop. A potential Yr 8 text to study.

[Stef Rozitis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think there was some good research about the historical events of WW2 in Australia behind this book but I had a few issues with it.

I was mildly amused by the old-fashioned "children's book" tone. There was a skipping merrily through halcyon days with far too much focus on food which reminded me of Enid Blyton. This was sort of OK except it went on for 8 chapters of fluff and almost nothing. The girls were about 12 and Poppy was presented as a tomboy and yet there was a clear heterosexuality agenda going on from the beginning. I want to be clear that I am not against characters having a heterosexual romance but I don't like the inevitability of it being set up from such a young age and every single character has this (the only spinster lost her sweetheart in the war). The teenage girls were sort of boy-crazy, Poppy had a makeover forced on her just before her really obvious love-interest came to her house and her tomboyishness was seen as a little girl thing that she had to put to one side and learn to be glamorous and feminine (magically she becomes a swan).

Later in the book it happens again, the minute Poppy gets new clothes and a glam new look her long-lost boyfriend shows up. This seemed a bit of a stretch of believability. At the end gender is reinforced with Cecelia getting an oven and fridge as her "Christmas presents" ignoring the fact that the men of the family benefit from her having these as much or more than she does. It also makes me wonder why they needed Daisy at the beginning of the story if Cecelia could so easily take over Daisy's work?

Daisy was a problematic character, underlining the whiteness of the view of history presented in the story as "normal. On p49-50 the author has Daisy saying she "fell in love" with a white drover at the age of 15 and decided to follow him mustering as a "drover's boy". This is an extremely sanitised version of what really happened to Aboriginal girls. I am not saying a children's book should traumatise everyone by focusing on that in detail, but if it's included at all it should be more accurate. Daisy ended up pregnant and abandoned but is portrayed as content to labour as a domestic servant, with her agency largely erased and the rare times she is presented as having an opinion her only agenda is loyalty and staying with her employers.

Later on (p63) the "Aboriginal women fluttered like bowerbirds among the bolts and household wares, their dark-skinned children running and hiding..." exoticising them as "natives", other to the main characters of the story and again sanitising what really happened to Aboriginal families in the Top End. There is a problematic sort of multiculturalism throughout the book, perhaps most explicit in Poppy's choice of poem to send to Bryony (not everything written at that time was so unapologetically white). There's also a mention that multicultural students in the school at Darwin caused fights in the playground, a hint that families like Poppy's and Jack's are more civilised than these "others". Last of all when Poppy looks in Daisy and Charlie's room the only possession/toy the little boy has is something Poppy gifted him. The while woman (teenager) is presented as a saviour of the coloured child. This might seem like nit-picking if it was just one or two of these examples but overall it makes up a really problematic pattern. In the historical "fast facts" at the end the author refers to "part-Aboriginals" which is offensively incorrect as a way of labelling people. A book written and marketed to be educational needs to be more careful with facts and terminology.

I also found the Japanese family early on in the book problematic. The little girl is endangered by her grandmother's backbreaking work (ie noone seems able or willing to watch her better) allowing Poppy to become the stereotype of the "white saviour". As a result of this Poppy is given a pearl which otherwise would probably have passed to Shinju who is named "pearl". Given the title of the book you would think the Japanese family with the "pearl" would be centred more, I expected this also for the short Japanese glossary at the front of the book but not so, they disappear out of the narrative (interned and unheard of) until the end when they have a peripheral existence.

I found the stuff about the wage gap between women and men interesting, it was good that Poppy was portrayed as irritated by this. I wanted to love her courage and ability to turn her hand to whatever is needed. I know that it can be hard to wrote with historical accuracy without buying into racist and sexist ideas from the time portrayed, so that is not what I am protesting about, it's the way the emphasis is on a white, heteronormative triumphalism throughout the book. Disappointingly the final line of the book has a grandmother and granddaughter prioritising falling in love as the main point and destiny of a girl.

[Jill Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Chloe visits her grandmother and she asks if there’s anything she can say about WWII. She didn’t expect her to know very much, or, have anything to tell her. When a small round biscuit tin, filled with old letters, photos, and memories was found. Chloe discovered her grandparents' lives during that time were at the forefront of the War.

Her grandmother then tells her about growing up in Darwin, her home, and how she and her family lived there when the Japanese bombed the city. Her family and friends lived with aboriginals, Japanese pearl divers, and cameleers from different origins.

Her Japanese friends were sent to an internment camp. They didn't see them again for years.

This is a well-written and researched account told from her grandmother's point of view as a teenager. Her mother was a nurse and her father a doctor, the focus on casualties being brought into the hospital.

The many lives touched by tragedy at this time, with people moving south, and living on rations. The authorities tried hard to play down the attacks and how much damage was caused, both in Darwin and by the Japanese mini-subs that attacked Sydney Harbour.

I’ve read several accounts of the bombing of Darwin, this one certainly relates the carnage and loss of life and how much it did affect people who experienced it. I love Belinda Murrell’s books and this is no exception.

[Kate · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this book for school and I wasn’t that excited to read it, I wasn’t really interested in the subject of the book, Chloe’s Grandma tells her life story about love and loss, courage and cowardice, and of her time during the war, about her story and the things she had to face, including the Japanese bombings and fleeing her home, but when the time came and I had to start reading it, I found that it wasn’t as bad as I thought, I normally would stop reading if I disliked the first chapter or two, but since this was a school book that I had to read I continued on, my thoughts and opinion on this book didn’t really change, it was just kind of boring and predictable, guy gets the girl, main characters survive and live a good life, they flee their home but one day get back, like it’s not that different to other war type books and overall the book wasn’t that great, I find. But there was a few alright things about this book, and it might have been better if the epilogue was of Chloe fixing the problems with her friends and that the actual epilogue was the last chapter. Feel free to read, you might like it, but take what I said into consideration :)

[ava · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my favourite book all through my childhood. It still remains to be one of my favourites at 17. I always found myself admiring and aspiring to be like Poppy. Her journey is inspiring to young people and shows the hardships normal families were subject to during World War Two. It is so well thought out and researched and includes all of the elements of the time: loss, love, darkness, but also light and hope. I recommend this book to all teenagers and children. It truly teaches so many valuable lessons about growing up.
I’ve learned to appreciate the scenes through Chloe’s perspective as I’ve grown and I think they are important and relevant to the story. I love this book and the characters will always feel like family to me. This story has a special place in my heart and Myilly Point will always be home to me, 5/5 stars.

[Lilian · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Forgotten Pearl was a book I read when I was in year 6. The book is extremely well written and beautifully written. At the age of 12, I wasn't too educated with Australian History and World War II, but this book had opened many pathways for me- learning about things that I still remember, and paving the way for me to later to do Ancient History, Modern History, and History Extension in Year 12. This book had such a great story line and was really simple to read. It was great seeing Poppy as a youth and victim of the war to later share it to her grand-daughter. I would definitely recommend this book to the youth and young adults-- maybe even adults.

[Debbie Johansson · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Forgotten Pearl is set in Darwin, as well as Sydney during the second world war and the author portrayed the setting very well. I could picture myself there, especially in Sydney, where I grew up. I liked the characters and felt empathy for them, especially during some sad moments. This book really brought the experiences of war to life within Australia during that moment in our history. I've really been enjoying this series and wish they were around when I was younger.

[Georgia🦋 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was such an incredible read. A very honest reflection of the Second World War and how close our country was to potentially being annexed by the Japanese. Such a beautiful story of youth, courage, upholding your morals, love and pride of being Australian. This book really made me reflect upon how much the past has sacrificed for us today to be living a life of security, peace and happiness.

[Jiyah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is there a six Star option?. I LOVE IT. Over the course of what felt like 2 days I have been going through an emotional rollercoaster. Through the first few chapters I laughed and smiled. But after Poppy's home town gets bombed and all her neighbours and friends get killed all that was left in me was sadness. I highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading WW2 books. 👍

[Lara Davis · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely adored this story. Ideal for students in Year 7 and 8. It captures the heart with its beautiful prose and heartbreaking and heartwarming tales. I also learned a few things about this difficult time in Australia's history.

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

I found the historical aspect interesting however I didn't connect with the writing. I found it to be basic and lacking emotional depth. The characters were intriguing but I was left wanting more from the story and the writing.

[Lara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Belinda Murrell is amazing. This book was full of description that made me feel like I was the main character.

[Jaya · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.75

I really do still enjoy reading this book. I think it is an amazing Aussie story. But it is definitely for middle grade readers. Although I was still very sad when certain people died.

[Hayla · Rating 5 out of 5]

Favourite book of all time

[Zoe White · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a while ago. It loved it. I love how it shows the different generations and how it was to go through a war.

[Niamh Wood · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my favourite books growing up!!!!!!!!! I remember borrowing this book from the library at least 7 times

[K P · Rating 4 out of 5]

Along with the girl from Snowy River this was my other favorite book. I was obsessed with anything to do with the world wars and this one being based around WWII, I LOVED it!

[Lia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A wonderful book and a great plot. Enjoyed it.

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

A beautifully written teen book set during the Second World War, in Darwin and later in Sydney. Poppy is a teenager living with her family in Darwin. When a new family moves up from the south, she becomes friends with Maude and her mother. The two girls enjoy their life in laid back Darwin, until was is declared and Darwin becomes a target for the Japanese. After the first bombing of the city, Poppy and her mother are forced to leave Poppy's father who is a doctor tending the wounded and evacuate south where they board with Maude's mother in Manly. They adapt to life in the south, but find that all is not as peaceful as they expect when the city if attacked by the Japanese mini submarines. Poppy's brother is taken prisoner by the Japanese in Singapore, and her two sisters work in the war effort in nursing and as a signaller. Poppy's friend from one of the northern cattle stations enlists as well and is sent to New Guinea, while Poppy herself finishes school to work in a munitions factory.

Finally, the family is reunited after the war and spend their first Christmas together again in their old house in Darwin.

This novel brings together many fascinating aspects of Australian history, including the participation of native Aboriginal people in the war, and the internment of the Australian born Japanese population, who were deported from Darwin to become prisoners of war in the south. I learnt much about Australia in the war from this novel, and in particular, the sections on Darwin were fascinating.