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Thief of Glory
In the tradition of Brock and Bodie Thoene's Zion Chronicles and history-meets-contemporary mysteries like those of bestseller Kate Morton, this WWII drama is both exciting in its revelations and heart-rending in its truth about human nature and forgiveness.
In the early 1940s, Jeremiah Prins was a 12-year-old living a content life as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). When Holland declared war on the Japanese in 1941, the situation changed swiftly. The Japanese army invaded, and Jeremiah and his family were placed in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp-a camp Jeremiah finally escapes and returns to Holland. Yet wartime complications force him to abandon a marriage engagement with Laura Jensen. The young man flees to California, where he struggles with the lingering anger and war stress he faced as a child.
Determined to find some kind of redemption, a now-elderly Jeremiah tries to make sense of his life by journaling of all that he does not want to reveal to his children about his past, intending to leave his writings as an apology after he is gone.
An online encounter puts Jeremiah in touch with his true love from the war years, Laura, and when they meet again, it triggers the time bomb of long-buried secrets. Even seventy years later, if uncovered, these secrets can harm everyone who matters to Jeremiah.
In the early 1940s, Jeremiah Prins was a 12-year-old living a content life as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia). When Holland declared war on the Japanese in 1941, the situation changed swiftly. The Japanese army invaded, and Jeremiah and his family were placed in a Japanese prisoner-of-war camp-a camp Jeremiah finally escapes and returns to Holland. Yet wartime complications force him to abandon a marriage engagement with Laura Jensen. The young man flees to California, where he struggles with the lingering anger and war stress he faced as a child.
Determined to find some kind of redemption, a now-elderly Jeremiah tries to make sense of his life by journaling of all that he does not want to reveal to his children about his past, intending to leave his writings as an apology after he is gone.
An online encounter puts Jeremiah in touch with his true love from the war years, Laura, and when they meet again, it triggers the time bomb of long-buried secrets. Even seventy years later, if uncovered, these secrets can harm everyone who matters to Jeremiah.
288 pages, Paperback
First published August 19, 2014
52 people are currently reading
1419 people want to read
About the author
Sigmund Brouwer
260 books407 followersSigmund loves going to schools to get kids excited about reading, reaching roughly 80,000 students a year through his Rock&Roll Literacy Show.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 182 reviews
November 5, 2019
SUMMARY: A boy coming of age in a time of war…
the love that inspires him to survive.
For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother.
Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength.
When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.
REVIEW: Having just finished The Sentinels of Andersonville, it was very interesting to follow it with Thief of Glory which also portrayed life in a prison camp. This time in a Jappankamp during World War II. I was unaware that there were camps in Dutch East India where the Japanese interned the Dutch. Both books were similar in that they depicted people who became stronger and were overcomers in spite of the depravities and horrors they faced and others who lost hope and strength and gave in to despair. This haunting story tells the coming of age of young Jeremiah and the 3 years of his life in captivity. The choices he made, decisions he pursued, and the horrors he witnessed and endured formed him into the man he would become for most of the rest of his life. Seeing the history through the eyes of a young pre-teen/teen was quite different and reminded me in some respects of The Diary of Anne Frank. This story is fascinating with a well-developed and maintained plot and characters who pull you right in to the heart of the story. This story could have been very depressing but interspersed were hopeful moments from those who would stand up and fight for those who were weaker and those who were survivors and wished to help others survive. This book was definitely deserving of an 2015 award.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "When you assume you deserve the evil that someone else inflicts upon you, then you are choosing to be a victim."
"It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."
"Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. To often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere."
"To tell our story makes us human, and to be human is to tell our story."
"It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences.
the love that inspires him to survive.
For ten year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother.
Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength.
When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God’s light and grace, shining through his people. Time and war will test their fortitude and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.
REVIEW: Having just finished The Sentinels of Andersonville, it was very interesting to follow it with Thief of Glory which also portrayed life in a prison camp. This time in a Jappankamp during World War II. I was unaware that there were camps in Dutch East India where the Japanese interned the Dutch. Both books were similar in that they depicted people who became stronger and were overcomers in spite of the depravities and horrors they faced and others who lost hope and strength and gave in to despair. This haunting story tells the coming of age of young Jeremiah and the 3 years of his life in captivity. The choices he made, decisions he pursued, and the horrors he witnessed and endured formed him into the man he would become for most of the rest of his life. Seeing the history through the eyes of a young pre-teen/teen was quite different and reminded me in some respects of The Diary of Anne Frank. This story is fascinating with a well-developed and maintained plot and characters who pull you right in to the heart of the story. This story could have been very depressing but interspersed were hopeful moments from those who would stand up and fight for those who were weaker and those who were survivors and wished to help others survive. This book was definitely deserving of an 2015 award.
FAVORITE QUOTES: "When you assume you deserve the evil that someone else inflicts upon you, then you are choosing to be a victim."
"It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."
"Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. To often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere."
"To tell our story makes us human, and to be human is to tell our story."
"It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences.
May 24, 2015
It's rare to find a WWII novel set in the eastern theater. Thief of Glory is set in the Dutch East Indies and told through the eyes of a "Jappencamp" survivor. Much of the story is told through ten year old Jeremiah's eyes. He is an easy character to love. He is kind, strong, stubborn and endures many struggles during his three year internment. Laura, Sophie and Adi were also great characters.
While I respected the way the story was told from present day with a look back in time, I found myself completely engaged in the story from yesteryear and not as much in the present day.
Overall, it was a compelling read. I recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction.
While I respected the way the story was told from present day with a look back in time, I found myself completely engaged in the story from yesteryear and not as much in the present day.
Overall, it was a compelling read. I recommend this novel for fans of historical fiction.
August 27, 2014
**Note: I do not recommend this book for anyone who is not an adult due to some gruesome and graphic scenes/descriptions and mature themes.**
First off I would like say that I chose this book because I love reading books about World War II (both fiction and non-fiction) and I was excited to see a new realistic Christian historical novel based on that time in history being published. When I chose this book to read I was expecting a realistic look at what happened in the Dutch East Indies during World War II which is what this book was. I didn’t chose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel and I wasn’t expecting it to be a feel good book with a happy ending. I’ve read enough books about World War II to know about a lot of the gruesome, brutal, and horrific things that happened from all different sides of the war. That being said, even though I was expecting this to be a realistic WWII fiction book, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this book.
For the most part the book was a well written book. After reading it I can tell that Sigmund Brouwer is a talented writer that is knowledgeable about or has done his research about the subjects he has written about. I had only read a couple of Sigmund Brouwer’s juvenile fiction books before, and although I did enjoy them, the writing was more of a simplistic style since the books were written for kids. That’s not the case in this book. The author has done a good job at making me feel like I’m living the events of the story just like the characters. Sometimes it wasn’t always a good thing for this book to be so descriptive though, and one part, although short, actually made me squeamish and that part wasn’t even war related.
This book didn’t really feel like a Christian book to me either. Yes, there were a few references to the Bible and to Christianity, but the book still felt like more of a mainstream novel than a Christian one due to some of the descriptions in this book and because of the way most of the characters acted. Half the time Jeremiah was angry at God and thought the Bible wasn’t true. The other references included the children reading Bible stories, a couple short parts where the characters had discussions related to the Bible, and there was a faith related part toward the end of the book, but it was very subtle and not detailed, unlike the other detailed parts in the book that I could have done without.
Also, while I didn’t choose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel, because of the summary this book has I’m sure a lot of people will think that this book is mainly a romance novel. It’s not. While it does have some romance in it, for those looking for their next Christian romance novel to read, I am suggesting that you look for a different book.
I didn’t know anything about the Dutch East Indies during World War II, so I did enjoy the historical aspect of this book and would rate that part of it highly. There were also a few characters I liked in the story. But overall this book was depressing and heart wrenching and I didn’t care for some of the crude or overly detailed gruesome descriptions or details that were in it, some of which weren’t even war related that I felt the book could have done without. I was also hoping for more of a Christian theme to it or more Christian related content. Unfortunately, even with my love for reading books about World War II history, I just didn’t enjoy this book.
I am putting the negative parts and sexual references in this book in a spoiler as some of these things could be spoilers to the story.
*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.
First off I would like say that I chose this book because I love reading books about World War II (both fiction and non-fiction) and I was excited to see a new realistic Christian historical novel based on that time in history being published. When I chose this book to read I was expecting a realistic look at what happened in the Dutch East Indies during World War II which is what this book was. I didn’t chose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel and I wasn’t expecting it to be a feel good book with a happy ending. I’ve read enough books about World War II to know about a lot of the gruesome, brutal, and horrific things that happened from all different sides of the war. That being said, even though I was expecting this to be a realistic WWII fiction book, I unfortunately didn’t enjoy this book.
For the most part the book was a well written book. After reading it I can tell that Sigmund Brouwer is a talented writer that is knowledgeable about or has done his research about the subjects he has written about. I had only read a couple of Sigmund Brouwer’s juvenile fiction books before, and although I did enjoy them, the writing was more of a simplistic style since the books were written for kids. That’s not the case in this book. The author has done a good job at making me feel like I’m living the events of the story just like the characters. Sometimes it wasn’t always a good thing for this book to be so descriptive though, and one part, although short, actually made me squeamish and that part wasn’t even war related.
This book didn’t really feel like a Christian book to me either. Yes, there were a few references to the Bible and to Christianity, but the book still felt like more of a mainstream novel than a Christian one due to some of the descriptions in this book and because of the way most of the characters acted. Half the time Jeremiah was angry at God and thought the Bible wasn’t true. The other references included the children reading Bible stories, a couple short parts where the characters had discussions related to the Bible, and there was a faith related part toward the end of the book, but it was very subtle and not detailed, unlike the other detailed parts in the book that I could have done without.
Also, while I didn’t choose this book because I wanted to read a Christian romance novel, because of the summary this book has I’m sure a lot of people will think that this book is mainly a romance novel. It’s not. While it does have some romance in it, for those looking for their next Christian romance novel to read, I am suggesting that you look for a different book.
I didn’t know anything about the Dutch East Indies during World War II, so I did enjoy the historical aspect of this book and would rate that part of it highly. There were also a few characters I liked in the story. But overall this book was depressing and heart wrenching and I didn’t care for some of the crude or overly detailed gruesome descriptions or details that were in it, some of which weren’t even war related that I felt the book could have done without. I was also hoping for more of a Christian theme to it or more Christian related content. Unfortunately, even with my love for reading books about World War II history, I just didn’t enjoy this book.
I am putting the negative parts and sexual references in this book in a spoiler as some of these things could be spoilers to the story.
*I received this book from the Blogging for Books program in exchange for my honest review.
July 15, 2019
What a tragic story! Loosely based on the author’s father and his time in a Japanese concentration camp, this plot gets complex and continues the twists and turns through the last page. Although not entirely believable, this story grabbed me and had me guessing till the end which makes it easy 5 ⭐️ for me. I’ve never read much about the Dutch East Indies during WWII, and being Dutch myself made this story so enjoyable reading about these strong Dutch men and women.
December 16, 2015
What a book! An incredibly written story and I was thankful for the opportunity to sit down and chat with Sigmund Brouwer after finishing: http://www.joannebischof.com/video-ch...
July 18, 2014
Before reading Thief of Glory, I had no idea what the war was like for the Dutch residents living in what had been Dutch-occupied Indonesia. The novel was eye-opening to say the least. As with other books I’ve read with young protagonists dealing with the harsh realities of adults at war (see The Book Thief, Sarah s Key, Diary of A Young Girl, Stones from the River} this one yanked fiercely on my mother-heart and left me astonished at what war expects of the children swept up into its maelstrom.
The book won’t be released until mid-August but I suggest you put it on your To Be Bought list and then most definitely on your To Be Read pile. You will be moved, appalled, changed.
The book won’t be released until mid-August but I suggest you put it on your To Be Bought list and then most definitely on your To Be Read pile. You will be moved, appalled, changed.
November 4, 2019
Haunting. Horrific. Such a great page-turner. The twists at the end really blindsided me! Great for Susan Meissner fans. 👍🏼😳
November 19, 2014
Of the books I've read from Sigmund Brouwer's pen,
Thief of Glory
is my favorite. In his signature storytelling style, this work of historical fiction is reminiscent of a memoir, shared like a series of journal entries written in the first person from the perspective of a 10-year-old boy; it is a completely fictional account of one family's nightmarish experience of interment in a Japanese concentration camp during World War II. Yet the details are hauntingly real.
Jeremiah lived with his parents and siblings on the island of Java. His father was the schoolmaster of the Dutch colonists. His income allowed them to live prosperously in their little village, with servants from the community. Jeremiah's blended family had two sets of siblings. There were three older half-brothers and his birth siblings--twin sisters and a little brother. Jeremiah was the eldest of his birth family. His lovely mother suffered from a mental illness where she frequently went into a dark phase of isolation. Often she was emotionally inaccessible. Jeremiah and his father were used to taking care of his family during these times. He took special care of his younger brother, Pietje (sounds like PJ). The little guy followed him around like a puppy.
The tragic portion of the story began when the Japanese arrived on the island. They removed the older boys and men, taking them to labor camps, some to work on the infamous Burma railroad. Jeremiah's father and brothers never returned. Before he left, he gave charge of his young family to Jeremiah's care. At this point, we are aware that the boy is a scrapper, a tough young man, and smart. He believes he is up for the challenge. It wasn't long after the men were taken when the Japanese came for the women and children. They were placed in "Jappencamps", where each family lived in a single room of a house. The bulk of this amazing story occurs in this place of captivity.
One element meaningful to me was the author's use of a few powerful metaphors. The banyan tree represents moments in time that leave an indelible impression for life. It also is used to represent the consequences of moments which pervades our lives to the end. The second metaphor was the impression left by reading Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe a number of times on Jeremiah. Jeremiah saw himself as Ivanhoe and Laura Jansen as Lady Rowena from the moment he laid eyes on her at the village's marble game. Consequently, when another boy named Georgie Smith vied for her attention, Jeremiah was ready to fight for her, even in the Jappencamp.
The second thing that struck me as an amazing factor in this story were the details of life in the camp. While these details are secondary to the plot, they lend an atmosphere of authenticity to the events that took place. In the preface, it's mentioned that these details came from the author's parents, especially his father who spent years in a similar situation as Jeremiah. Yet he survived and returned home to his loved ones, and in particular the author's mother. I think it's the stark realism of this tale which plucked at my heartstrings so much. Toward the end, I even forgot the story was supposed to be fiction.
The thing that surprised me most about this book was that reading this from a pre-teen's viewpoint meant that, like Tom sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, there were the inevitable light moments and chuckles. Even in the midst of the horrendous circumstances he was in with his family, Jeremiah's antics and escapades were often funny, in a dark sort of "stick-to-you" type of way. Call it comic relief. I don't want to sound insensitive to the victims of such horrors, but the author managed to include many enjoyable instances as a sort of foil to the seriousness of the situation.
All of this meant I could hardly put the book down because of the suspense. It was all about surviving the war with his sanity and sense of self intact. Like me, you may be surprised how the book ends. I didn't see it coming at all. If you enjoy a fresh perspective of a historical fiction and/or love what Sigmund Brouwer writes, I can heartily recommend this book to you. For the rest of you, try something new; I think this book is worth it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Waterbrook Press and the website, Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
Jeremiah lived with his parents and siblings on the island of Java. His father was the schoolmaster of the Dutch colonists. His income allowed them to live prosperously in their little village, with servants from the community. Jeremiah's blended family had two sets of siblings. There were three older half-brothers and his birth siblings--twin sisters and a little brother. Jeremiah was the eldest of his birth family. His lovely mother suffered from a mental illness where she frequently went into a dark phase of isolation. Often she was emotionally inaccessible. Jeremiah and his father were used to taking care of his family during these times. He took special care of his younger brother, Pietje (sounds like PJ). The little guy followed him around like a puppy.
The tragic portion of the story began when the Japanese arrived on the island. They removed the older boys and men, taking them to labor camps, some to work on the infamous Burma railroad. Jeremiah's father and brothers never returned. Before he left, he gave charge of his young family to Jeremiah's care. At this point, we are aware that the boy is a scrapper, a tough young man, and smart. He believes he is up for the challenge. It wasn't long after the men were taken when the Japanese came for the women and children. They were placed in "Jappencamps", where each family lived in a single room of a house. The bulk of this amazing story occurs in this place of captivity.
One element meaningful to me was the author's use of a few powerful metaphors. The banyan tree represents moments in time that leave an indelible impression for life. It also is used to represent the consequences of moments which pervades our lives to the end. The second metaphor was the impression left by reading Sir Walter Scott's Ivanhoe a number of times on Jeremiah. Jeremiah saw himself as Ivanhoe and Laura Jansen as Lady Rowena from the moment he laid eyes on her at the village's marble game. Consequently, when another boy named Georgie Smith vied for her attention, Jeremiah was ready to fight for her, even in the Jappencamp.
The second thing that struck me as an amazing factor in this story were the details of life in the camp. While these details are secondary to the plot, they lend an atmosphere of authenticity to the events that took place. In the preface, it's mentioned that these details came from the author's parents, especially his father who spent years in a similar situation as Jeremiah. Yet he survived and returned home to his loved ones, and in particular the author's mother. I think it's the stark realism of this tale which plucked at my heartstrings so much. Toward the end, I even forgot the story was supposed to be fiction.
The thing that surprised me most about this book was that reading this from a pre-teen's viewpoint meant that, like Tom sawyer and Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain, there were the inevitable light moments and chuckles. Even in the midst of the horrendous circumstances he was in with his family, Jeremiah's antics and escapades were often funny, in a dark sort of "stick-to-you" type of way. Call it comic relief. I don't want to sound insensitive to the victims of such horrors, but the author managed to include many enjoyable instances as a sort of foil to the seriousness of the situation.
All of this meant I could hardly put the book down because of the suspense. It was all about surviving the war with his sanity and sense of self intact. Like me, you may be surprised how the book ends. I didn't see it coming at all. If you enjoy a fresh perspective of a historical fiction and/or love what Sigmund Brouwer writes, I can heartily recommend this book to you. For the rest of you, try something new; I think this book is worth it.
Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complimentary review copy of this book from Waterbrook Press and the website, Blogging for Books. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”
November 7, 2014
Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer is historical fiction centered around WWII. The blurb talks about love amidst the internment camp, and it sounds like this really good story. But trust me, it's not... Buyer beware this shouldn't be considered a Christian book in any sense of the word. It's different but not in a good way.
When Jeremiah Prins is ten, the Japanese take over the Dutch East Indies. They force Jeremiah, his mother, and his three younger siblings into a camp where they have to learn how to survive with limited food and medicine. The Japanese control the camp with an iron grip leaving it's prisoners scared for their lives. But the Dutch don't give up easily....
Later Jeremiah finds his first love, Laura, in the camps. Life seems better with her as his friend and together they do daring things to help their families survive. Life takes a drastic turn when Jeremiah starts noticing something wrong with his mother.
This is my first read from this author, and I was impressed by his writing skill, but the story wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. Usually you cheer with and like the main character, but I didn't like him at all. He was detached, mean, vindictive, and superior. I felt for all they went through at the Japanese internment camp, but for supposedly being a Christian story there was nothing Christian except for mentioning the Bible and hymns. Plus, there were a lot of thematic elements like some cursing, vulgarity, sensual topics, and violence especially at the beginning where it shocks you and makes you immediately dislike him.
I am used to reading WWII, nonfiction and fiction, so I know the evilness surrounding these places, but this story was just so dark with no redemptiveness to it at all. Even the ending was so strange and weird. The last chapters were poorly written, confusing, and made you dislike Jeremiah even more if possible. In my opinion, Jeremiah was just evil. They try to say he did it all for "good" reasons, but doing bad for a good end result is just as bad as doing wrong all the way. The story ends with him asking for mercy, but I would rather hear the author come right out and say he got saved. This book felt like such a waste. I will not be reading any of his books again.
I was given this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
When Jeremiah Prins is ten, the Japanese take over the Dutch East Indies. They force Jeremiah, his mother, and his three younger siblings into a camp where they have to learn how to survive with limited food and medicine. The Japanese control the camp with an iron grip leaving it's prisoners scared for their lives. But the Dutch don't give up easily....
Later Jeremiah finds his first love, Laura, in the camps. Life seems better with her as his friend and together they do daring things to help their families survive. Life takes a drastic turn when Jeremiah starts noticing something wrong with his mother.
This is my first read from this author, and I was impressed by his writing skill, but the story wasn't at all what I thought it was going to be. Usually you cheer with and like the main character, but I didn't like him at all. He was detached, mean, vindictive, and superior. I felt for all they went through at the Japanese internment camp, but for supposedly being a Christian story there was nothing Christian except for mentioning the Bible and hymns. Plus, there were a lot of thematic elements like some cursing, vulgarity, sensual topics, and violence especially at the beginning where it shocks you and makes you immediately dislike him.
I am used to reading WWII, nonfiction and fiction, so I know the evilness surrounding these places, but this story was just so dark with no redemptiveness to it at all. Even the ending was so strange and weird. The last chapters were poorly written, confusing, and made you dislike Jeremiah even more if possible. In my opinion, Jeremiah was just evil. They try to say he did it all for "good" reasons, but doing bad for a good end result is just as bad as doing wrong all the way. The story ends with him asking for mercy, but I would rather hear the author come right out and say he got saved. This book felt like such a waste. I will not be reading any of his books again.
I was given this book free from Blogging for Books in exchange for an honest review.
October 18, 2014
One boy to protect a frail family in the middle of a Japanese concentration camp. It seems to be impossible but Jeremiah Prins has determined he will stand in his father's stead to care for his mentally frail mother and host of siblings. It's a task a grown man would find taxing; for Jeremiah the life of oppression eats away at his childhood setting into motion a series of events that will change the lives of so many people.
Sigmund Brouwer. An author I've heard so much about but whose works I never really considered venturing into. And for good reason: His works seemed dark. Gosh. Was I wrong. Brouwer is an amazing writer. He can take history and spin a tale of endurance, heartache and hope. I have never read a book quite like Thief of Glory. I sat down one night decided I'd read a few chapters before doing some writing of my own...yeah. it didn't happen. I was so engrossed in Thief of Glory I couldn't put it down until early morning hours had arrived. Did I mention I had to be at work early the next morning?! His story has a dumfounding quality to it, in both prose and plot. I didn't get the happy ending I wanted. I got something that could have passed for a real life story (and yes it is based on a true story). One of the best books published in the decade.
DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we received an hardcopy of “Thief of Glory” from Blogging for Books in exchange for our honest review.
Sigmund Brouwer. An author I've heard so much about but whose works I never really considered venturing into. And for good reason: His works seemed dark. Gosh. Was I wrong. Brouwer is an amazing writer. He can take history and spin a tale of endurance, heartache and hope. I have never read a book quite like Thief of Glory. I sat down one night decided I'd read a few chapters before doing some writing of my own...yeah. it didn't happen. I was so engrossed in Thief of Glory I couldn't put it down until early morning hours had arrived. Did I mention I had to be at work early the next morning?! His story has a dumfounding quality to it, in both prose and plot. I didn't get the happy ending I wanted. I got something that could have passed for a real life story (and yes it is based on a true story). One of the best books published in the decade.
DISCLAIMER: In accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising” we would like to note that we received an hardcopy of “Thief of Glory” from Blogging for Books in exchange for our honest review.
February 9, 2017
Jeremy's life as a prisoner in a Japanese internment camp during WW2 comes as a result of his being in a police station holding cell. He looks back on his life from his position as a retired architect in his 80s. We see the terrible struggles he had to endure in order to fulfill his father's last wish, to protect the family. We see how the things he experienced during those years in the camp have haunted him for his entire life.
I picked this book up because I am a fan of historical fiction. Also, being set in Indonesia was appealing because I have connections to that country. I hoped this would give me some further insight into the country and its history.
I finished the book because the story telling was so compelling. Yes, I was able to learn more about Indonesia's history, particularly during the Japanese occupation, but Jeremy's character will stay with me for a long time. His suffering at the hands of the Japanese military was able to leap off the page and make me feel. His perseverance in the face of such conditions that no child should ever have to deal with is extra-ordinary. That the author drew upon his own family's history to get this story across adds a level of authenticity.
I would recommend this to Tyler. I think he would like the story, but also appreciate the social commentary that the story raises.
I picked this book up because I am a fan of historical fiction. Also, being set in Indonesia was appealing because I have connections to that country. I hoped this would give me some further insight into the country and its history.
I finished the book because the story telling was so compelling. Yes, I was able to learn more about Indonesia's history, particularly during the Japanese occupation, but Jeremy's character will stay with me for a long time. His suffering at the hands of the Japanese military was able to leap off the page and make me feel. His perseverance in the face of such conditions that no child should ever have to deal with is extra-ordinary. That the author drew upon his own family's history to get this story across adds a level of authenticity.
I would recommend this to Tyler. I think he would like the story, but also appreciate the social commentary that the story raises.
March 18, 2015
I have to admit that I was not completely in love with this book, while the general idea of it was interesting. I didn't like that I was made to believe that this was a romance, when it really was not. I hate to write a negative review, and I don't think the problem was with the book, but more so with the marketing involved with it.
I felt that the main character, Jeremiah, was able to do way more things than a ten year old should have been able to do. Since he was 10 for 2/3 of the novel, I had difficulty taking this book seriously.
However, the historical aspect of this novel was great. I never knew Dutch POW camps existed in Indonesia. I liked reading about the history here. All in all, this novel was very rich in historical ideas, but I didn't love the actual story.
I felt that the main character, Jeremiah, was able to do way more things than a ten year old should have been able to do. Since he was 10 for 2/3 of the novel, I had difficulty taking this book seriously.
However, the historical aspect of this novel was great. I never knew Dutch POW camps existed in Indonesia. I liked reading about the history here. All in all, this novel was very rich in historical ideas, but I didn't love the actual story.
January 13, 2024
This book showed a side of WW2 that I was admittedly ignorant. I enjoyed the author’s writing style, except I would’ve preferred a different transition from the historical account of the past to what was present day reflections of the main character.
October 27, 2023
The writing was phenomenal.
The story was emotionally scarring.
So...I have very mixed feelings about this book.
Ok, so thinking about it, it's probably a more realistic book than the "happily-ever-after" books that are more comfortable to read...the trauma the characters go through really affects not just them but their future families.
The realism was good, but it was too depressing for me...honestly, Children of Hurin was less scarring.
Content (and there's a lot, so I'm gonna separate it by categories...)
Violence: beatings (semi-detailed), death of children (semi-detailed), fistfights between boys, murders (suffocation; a mother kills her child's pet and then two of her daughters and then attempts to murder her son), killing in self-defense (a twelve year old boy does the killing), attempted murder, a python attack, much threat of death. Most of the story takes place in a concentration camp, so...
Sexual content: a young girl (age 9/10) receives a sexually threatening letter (the content of the letter is implied rather than detailed); a woman has a relationship with the Japanese camp commander (barely detailed); a woman has a relationship with a camp doctor (barely detailed); a woman is pregnant outside wedlock (not detailed, but rape is implied); prostitution is mentioned; extramarital relationships are mentioned.
Other: drug use (opium), a rather depressing story overall, prejudice against a boy with a cleft palate, characters make terrible life decisions, parents are rather cold and emotionally distant, parents tell their children not to cry/crying is weak, brief language
The story was emotionally scarring.
So...I have very mixed feelings about this book.
Ok, so thinking about it, it's probably a more realistic book than the "happily-ever-after" books that are more comfortable to read...the trauma the characters go through really affects not just them but their future families.
The realism was good, but it was too depressing for me...honestly, Children of Hurin was less scarring.
Content (and there's a lot, so I'm gonna separate it by categories...)
Violence: beatings (semi-detailed), death of children (semi-detailed), fistfights between boys, murders (suffocation; a mother kills her child's pet and then two of her daughters and then attempts to murder her son), killing in self-defense (a twelve year old boy does the killing), attempted murder, a python attack, much threat of death. Most of the story takes place in a concentration camp, so...
Sexual content: a young girl (age 9/10) receives a sexually threatening letter (the content of the letter is implied rather than detailed); a woman has a relationship with the Japanese camp commander (barely detailed); a woman has a relationship with a camp doctor (barely detailed); a woman is pregnant outside wedlock (not detailed, but rape is implied); prostitution is mentioned; extramarital relationships are mentioned.
Other: drug use (opium), a rather depressing story overall, prejudice against a boy with a cleft palate, characters make terrible life decisions, parents are rather cold and emotionally distant, parents tell their children not to cry/crying is weak, brief language
October 20, 2021
Jeremiah Prins spent part of his childhood in a Japanese internment camp during World War Two. It was a challenge taking care of his younger siblings and his mentally unstable mother. He did survive but some of the painful secrets of the past haunted him for many years. It was finding his lost love of his childhood that helped him find healing.
September 4, 2014
There comes some novels that are so rare and deep that when you finish them, you are left as though you have no breath left in your body. As if you are reliving something so horrible, you wish it were all simply a bad dream. But this is not the case with a different type of christian historical novel from Sigmund Brouwer, Thief of Glory and it is definitely a story of unspeakable horrors that occurred for one boy and his family that lived during the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Dutch East Indies during WWII. For me, it was a story I had never heard nor could never imagine, but know that stories like these have happened and have never been told except to close family members.
I caution the reader, it is not for the faint of heart and the horrors described as a young boy, Jeremiah Prins and his younger brother and sisters, along with his mother are moved to a concentration camp when the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies islands, which is present day Indonesia. When Jeremiah's father and older brothers are taken, his father firmly reminds him that it is his responsibility now to take care of what remains of the family. Jeremiah has grown up a bit unique in never learning to fear anything, never to cry and to always let the first fight be initiated by someone else. They will always need to hit first. But Jeremiah is also smart beyond his years when he is able to converse like someone much older and wiser and that often takes his opponents by surprise, not knowing if he is serious or simply stalling for time.
Jeremiah's passion is marbles, one he takes great pride in adding to his growing collection through his many games with the children in the neighborhood and subsequently in the camp when he is detained there. It is his only connection to a normal life while living someplace that most would simply refer to as hell. Outside the fenced enclosure, life continues on as normal while all the Dutch people are rounded up by the Japanese. The leaders of the camp, known as Jappenkamp, know that in order to maintain a sense of control, certain restrictions are necessary, from keeping people in overcrowded conditions, keeping food rations at the point of keeping the people from starving at first, and convincing them all that anything less than respect for the leaders will result in punishment of their mothers, no matter if the disrespect came from the adult or child.
It is a chilling reminder of the horrors some had to endure just to survive a war in which they were not involved with directly but simply based on their race.
I received Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions here are strictly my own. I can't imagine how far someone would have to be pushed in order to survive and what you would have had to do, just to make it through the next day. By the time you get to the final page of the novel you gain a full understanding that things you witness are not always as they appear and that those who endured spending time in concentration camps are our true survivors and heroes! This is not for younger readers, due to the content of what the novel deals with in very realistic terms, about how one boy and his family had to survive in some of the worst circumstances. If this were a movie, I believe it would be rated R due to the subject matter much like Schindler's List. However with that being said, we can't hide that these things happened simply by refusing to read about them or hear about them and I believe this one deserves a 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can help but feel as though you, yourself, were locked behind the fences right alongside Jeremiah and that to me, is an earmark of an exceptional writer.
I caution the reader, it is not for the faint of heart and the horrors described as a young boy, Jeremiah Prins and his younger brother and sisters, along with his mother are moved to a concentration camp when the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies islands, which is present day Indonesia. When Jeremiah's father and older brothers are taken, his father firmly reminds him that it is his responsibility now to take care of what remains of the family. Jeremiah has grown up a bit unique in never learning to fear anything, never to cry and to always let the first fight be initiated by someone else. They will always need to hit first. But Jeremiah is also smart beyond his years when he is able to converse like someone much older and wiser and that often takes his opponents by surprise, not knowing if he is serious or simply stalling for time.
Jeremiah's passion is marbles, one he takes great pride in adding to his growing collection through his many games with the children in the neighborhood and subsequently in the camp when he is detained there. It is his only connection to a normal life while living someplace that most would simply refer to as hell. Outside the fenced enclosure, life continues on as normal while all the Dutch people are rounded up by the Japanese. The leaders of the camp, known as Jappenkamp, know that in order to maintain a sense of control, certain restrictions are necessary, from keeping people in overcrowded conditions, keeping food rations at the point of keeping the people from starving at first, and convincing them all that anything less than respect for the leaders will result in punishment of their mothers, no matter if the disrespect came from the adult or child.
It is a chilling reminder of the horrors some had to endure just to survive a war in which they were not involved with directly but simply based on their race.
I received Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer compliments of Christian Fiction Blog Alliance and Waterbrook Multnomah Publishers for my honest review. I did not receive any monetary compensation for a favorable review and the opinions here are strictly my own. I can't imagine how far someone would have to be pushed in order to survive and what you would have had to do, just to make it through the next day. By the time you get to the final page of the novel you gain a full understanding that things you witness are not always as they appear and that those who endured spending time in concentration camps are our true survivors and heroes! This is not for younger readers, due to the content of what the novel deals with in very realistic terms, about how one boy and his family had to survive in some of the worst circumstances. If this were a movie, I believe it would be rated R due to the subject matter much like Schindler's List. However with that being said, we can't hide that these things happened simply by refusing to read about them or hear about them and I believe this one deserves a 4.5 out of 5 stars. You can help but feel as though you, yourself, were locked behind the fences right alongside Jeremiah and that to me, is an earmark of an exceptional writer.
February 26, 2017
Unusual view of war as Japan takes over the Dutch East Indies. Told through the eyes of a young boy coming of age in the throes of WW2. Descriptive, emotionally gripping and raw storytelling.
Worth recommending.
Worth recommending.
March 4, 2016
I received this book from the author/publisher for the purpose of this review. All comments and opinions are entirely my own.
The things that made Thief of Glory stand out amongst other WWII novels are the characters and the story. These characters are incredibly well made; to the point that many readers feel as if they made friends rather than just read a book. And the storyline is flawless. There is not a single thing that was overdone nor was it lacking in anything; the subplots were extremely well presented and solved and the main plot never failed to present surprises.
Because this book is set in WWII, there is plenty of violence and sexual content. The violence is not entirely war-related as you would expect, there aren’t bombings and things of this nature. The violence is in the beatings that the women receive in the camp that they are being held as prisoners. The young boys of the camp also get into fist fights that often result in broken bones, lots of blood, and name calling. All violence is fairly detailed and some scenes get very detailed to emphasis a certain point. The sexual content however, is hardly detailed at all because the book is written in first person through a 10 year old boy, thus the sexual content is what he overhears and sometimes even sees, though he doesn’t understand what is going on. He relates it in an innocent boyish way but you clearly get the true message of what happened.
Thief of Glory will pull at your heart-strings a bit with all of the heartache that happened to women and children during WWII. Because the story is told through the eyes of a young boy trying to be strong for his family, it is that much more emotional, but in addition to being emotional, it also has its funny moments. There is rivalry amongst the children, games to entertain them, and their innocent reasoning gives the book a lightness that keeps the book from totally depressing you.
All in all, Thief of Glory is a phenomenally written book that it is well worth the buy. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
The things that made Thief of Glory stand out amongst other WWII novels are the characters and the story. These characters are incredibly well made; to the point that many readers feel as if they made friends rather than just read a book. And the storyline is flawless. There is not a single thing that was overdone nor was it lacking in anything; the subplots were extremely well presented and solved and the main plot never failed to present surprises.
Because this book is set in WWII, there is plenty of violence and sexual content. The violence is not entirely war-related as you would expect, there aren’t bombings and things of this nature. The violence is in the beatings that the women receive in the camp that they are being held as prisoners. The young boys of the camp also get into fist fights that often result in broken bones, lots of blood, and name calling. All violence is fairly detailed and some scenes get very detailed to emphasis a certain point. The sexual content however, is hardly detailed at all because the book is written in first person through a 10 year old boy, thus the sexual content is what he overhears and sometimes even sees, though he doesn’t understand what is going on. He relates it in an innocent boyish way but you clearly get the true message of what happened.
Thief of Glory will pull at your heart-strings a bit with all of the heartache that happened to women and children during WWII. Because the story is told through the eyes of a young boy trying to be strong for his family, it is that much more emotional, but in addition to being emotional, it also has its funny moments. There is rivalry amongst the children, games to entertain them, and their innocent reasoning gives the book a lightness that keeps the book from totally depressing you.
All in all, Thief of Glory is a phenomenally written book that it is well worth the buy. I rate it 5 out of 5 stars.
October 10, 2014
I was unprepared for how good this book is. It put me in acute remembrance of humanity's, and even my own, need for mercy.
I think it's fair to point out early that this World War II novel's description/blurb/back cover copy misrepresents what's actually in the book to a significant degree. Yes, the love between Jeremiah and Laura is important, but their relationship is not what's at the forefront of much (maybe even most) of what happens in the book. Also, while the blurb paints a picture of how the two of them, apparently together, "reach for God's light and grace, shining through His people," I, even in retrospect, have a little trouble placing where that picture is supposed to fit in this story.
Fortunately, as one who isn't a big fan of book blurbs in general, I take them with a grain of salt (whenever I do actually read them.)
Thief of Glory is heartrending, even raw at points, and superbly written. I'd never read a WWII novel that takes place on this side of the war, in the Dutch East Indies, or Indonesia. Jeremiah's boyhood rage and cunning doesn't lead to nice-and-tidy ends, just as war, growing up, and life itself aren't nice and tidy. Indeed, there is life here, and death, and darkness, and light; a good story entails both sides, and as Jeremiah intimates, "To tell our story makes us human, and to be human is to tell our story."
What I find the most redemptive about this story is its illustration of looking back into the bad and being able to identify the good that came through it, identifying love and hope and the meaning they give to life. The final word isn't granted to injustice, terror, devastation, or even resulting grief and rage when any human being, whether during or in the aftermath of tragedy, can honestly say, "I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."
_____________________
Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
I think it's fair to point out early that this World War II novel's description/blurb/back cover copy misrepresents what's actually in the book to a significant degree. Yes, the love between Jeremiah and Laura is important, but their relationship is not what's at the forefront of much (maybe even most) of what happens in the book. Also, while the blurb paints a picture of how the two of them, apparently together, "reach for God's light and grace, shining through His people," I, even in retrospect, have a little trouble placing where that picture is supposed to fit in this story.
Fortunately, as one who isn't a big fan of book blurbs in general, I take them with a grain of salt (whenever I do actually read them.)
Thief of Glory is heartrending, even raw at points, and superbly written. I'd never read a WWII novel that takes place on this side of the war, in the Dutch East Indies, or Indonesia. Jeremiah's boyhood rage and cunning doesn't lead to nice-and-tidy ends, just as war, growing up, and life itself aren't nice and tidy. Indeed, there is life here, and death, and darkness, and light; a good story entails both sides, and as Jeremiah intimates, "To tell our story makes us human, and to be human is to tell our story."
What I find the most redemptive about this story is its illustration of looking back into the bad and being able to identify the good that came through it, identifying love and hope and the meaning they give to life. The final word isn't granted to injustice, terror, devastation, or even resulting grief and rage when any human being, whether during or in the aftermath of tragedy, can honestly say, "I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."
_____________________
Blogging for Books provided me with a complimentary copy of this book for an honest review.
November 24, 2014
I have a confession. There are books I won't read. My list includes books I think will be sappy or cheesy, or one dimensional. I kind of avoid sci-fi/fantasy because I have enough trouble remembering the important details in the real world. Lastly, I avoid books set in times of war. Now. I also have this bizarre deep vein of melancholy that loves a book that indelibly etches itself on my soul through the characters and writing. That may be one of the reasons I avoid wartime novels. Sometimes those novels are just so painful to read, and without hope.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the mail and discovered a copy of Sigmund Brouwer's latest novel and set it aside to read. I've read him before and I like his voice and the back cover description compelled me to hang onto it. I cracked the cover and was lost in a world that was brutal beyond understanding. A world that was as foreign to me as sci-fi is but a world that held a minute seed of hope and life in it's clutches.
Brouwer's tale is inspired from the research he did into the lives of his parents and grandparents in the brutal setting of World War II. Jeremiah, 10 years old, already with an old soul, finds that he needs to grow into a man well before he should. A man who won't cry and will never give up. The conditions of his life are unbearable and horrific. I've always been shocked at how far evil will go. It seems that there should be a limit, some stopping point. But I guess that's the nature of evil and why the good news of Christ's sacrifice and offer of salvation is so very beautiful.
The characterization in this novel is rich and vivid. Brouwer's writing is powerful. Jeremiah's story is hideously beautiful. War is hell, love is the antidote. Use caution if you are easily disturbed. There is brutality and horror of many kinds in this novel. But if you are on the lookout for a story where love triumphs and changes those it touches, pick up a copy.
Imagine my surprise when I opened the mail and discovered a copy of Sigmund Brouwer's latest novel and set it aside to read. I've read him before and I like his voice and the back cover description compelled me to hang onto it. I cracked the cover and was lost in a world that was brutal beyond understanding. A world that was as foreign to me as sci-fi is but a world that held a minute seed of hope and life in it's clutches.
Brouwer's tale is inspired from the research he did into the lives of his parents and grandparents in the brutal setting of World War II. Jeremiah, 10 years old, already with an old soul, finds that he needs to grow into a man well before he should. A man who won't cry and will never give up. The conditions of his life are unbearable and horrific. I've always been shocked at how far evil will go. It seems that there should be a limit, some stopping point. But I guess that's the nature of evil and why the good news of Christ's sacrifice and offer of salvation is so very beautiful.
The characterization in this novel is rich and vivid. Brouwer's writing is powerful. Jeremiah's story is hideously beautiful. War is hell, love is the antidote. Use caution if you are easily disturbed. There is brutality and horror of many kinds in this novel. But if you are on the lookout for a story where love triumphs and changes those it touches, pick up a copy.
July 19, 2016
This review is also posted on Book by Book.
Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer is a bit of a change from the feel-good romances I’ve been reading recently, but I have been eagerly waiting to read this novel ever since I first read the synopsis. Thankfully, it did not let me down. Brouwer offers his readers a unique, enticing tale of World War II, inspired by the actual childhood experience of his father. Before this novel, I had never learned of the devastation the Dutch people experienced at the hands of the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies, but Brouwer’s tale vividly conveys the eye-opening history through the lens of ten-year-old Jeremiah Prins. I really loved the narration Jeremiah gives of his years in the Japanese internment camp. Telling the story as an eighty(ish)-year-old man looking back on his ten-year-old self, he ably and believably combines youthful authenticity and mature reflection, along with well-timed bits of foreshadowing. His story is tragic and heart-wretching, yet does not lack hopeful redemption. It’s a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to fan of historical fiction.
Thanks to Blogging for Books, I received a copy of Thief of Glory and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer is a bit of a change from the feel-good romances I’ve been reading recently, but I have been eagerly waiting to read this novel ever since I first read the synopsis. Thankfully, it did not let me down. Brouwer offers his readers a unique, enticing tale of World War II, inspired by the actual childhood experience of his father. Before this novel, I had never learned of the devastation the Dutch people experienced at the hands of the Japanese in the Dutch East Indies, but Brouwer’s tale vividly conveys the eye-opening history through the lens of ten-year-old Jeremiah Prins. I really loved the narration Jeremiah gives of his years in the Japanese internment camp. Telling the story as an eighty(ish)-year-old man looking back on his ten-year-old self, he ably and believably combines youthful authenticity and mature reflection, along with well-timed bits of foreshadowing. His story is tragic and heart-wretching, yet does not lack hopeful redemption. It’s a fascinating read and I highly recommend it to fan of historical fiction.
Thanks to Blogging for Books, I received a copy of Thief of Glory and the opportunity to provide an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review, and all the opinions I have expressed are my own.
August 13, 2015
I have read many books about WWII but knew nothing of the concentration camps in the Dutch East Indies. There were pages that were hard to read about all of the brutalities and horrible degrading things that happened at this camp, but I'm sure this was factual and needed for the story.
This is the first book that I have read by Sigmund Brouwer. I was so impressed with his development of characters which were so well described that I hurt for them. The author made me feel immersed in the story, it's good and evil but also the heroism of the people and their continued struggle for survival under some of the worst conditions imaginable.
What I felt most was the story of Jeremiah who was a complex and fascinating hero, so young with so many choices to make good and evil all around him.
The ending was one which will I will remember for a long time. I know the author began this novel based on his father's experiences and perhaps that is why the stories are so vivid and personal.
I will highly recommend this book.
This is the first book that I have read by Sigmund Brouwer. I was so impressed with his development of characters which were so well described that I hurt for them. The author made me feel immersed in the story, it's good and evil but also the heroism of the people and their continued struggle for survival under some of the worst conditions imaginable.
What I felt most was the story of Jeremiah who was a complex and fascinating hero, so young with so many choices to make good and evil all around him.
The ending was one which will I will remember for a long time. I know the author began this novel based on his father's experiences and perhaps that is why the stories are so vivid and personal.
I will highly recommend this book.
February 10, 2015
I really liked this book. This is the story of a family that is trapped in the Dutch East Indies (Indonesia) when the Japanese invaded during World War II. The men and older male children are sent to work camps. The women and children are sent to internment camps. This story is told from the point of view of a ten year old boy that is sent to an internment camp with his mother and younger siblings. It is a story of survival and it tells a story that isn't often told. I've been reading several books that centered around atrocities carried out by the Japanese in various parts of Asia during WWII. This one is especially well written and it is heart wrenching. This is labeled as Christian fiction, and the message is definitely there, but it does not overwhelm the story. I would recommend this to anyone that is interested in WWII fiction, regardless of religious preference.
August 2, 2016
{ ****/ 4.5 stars }
I am so glad this was on the Alberta Reader's Choice shortlist, otherwise I don't think I would ever have read it – and I really was taken in by this book. Mostly by chance, I've been reading a lot of of novels set during WWII this year, and while I am able to glean a little new information of what it was like in different areas from all of the books, I had no idea at all about the Dutch East Indies, Jappenkamps or anything of that sort. This book was both eye-opening and well-written. I was definitely more absorbed by Jeremiah's stories of his youth rather than his current old age, but I loved how it all unfolded. Highly recommend.
I am so glad this was on the Alberta Reader's Choice shortlist, otherwise I don't think I would ever have read it – and I really was taken in by this book. Mostly by chance, I've been reading a lot of of novels set during WWII this year, and while I am able to glean a little new information of what it was like in different areas from all of the books, I had no idea at all about the Dutch East Indies, Jappenkamps or anything of that sort. This book was both eye-opening and well-written. I was definitely more absorbed by Jeremiah's stories of his youth rather than his current old age, but I loved how it all unfolded. Highly recommend.
November 9, 2015
Not my favorite WWII area, the far east is not my choice when it comes to this type of story. But this was a well done book about a boy, Jeremiah Prins who finds himself in a Japanese prisoner of was camp during WWII. He is a Dutch boy who is living in the East Indies. Later, in the US after the war, long after marriage and children, he comes across his first love from those days.
August 8, 2014
What an amazing, heart wrenching book. I didn't know much about the Dutch East Indies during the Japanese occupation during the war. Very eye opening. The book was well-written, and I was almost immediately pulled into the story. Definitely one of the best books I've read this year.
January 15, 2015
Really good story of how a young man survives a Japanese internment camp during WWII
June 30, 2017
Oh, the power and significance of memory! Jeremiah Prins, now an octogenarian, is trying hard to remember rightly his life story. He is the 10-year-old narrator of this sad and difficult work of historical fiction. A coming-of-age narrative--in the midst of a Japanese prison camp. Bright, clever, resilient, determined, bold and so much more, Jeremiah and his life are changed completely when Japanese soldiers enter his home and take his father and two older stepbrothers away. Having prepared for this moment, his stern, distant, unemotional father charges Jeremiah with the responsibility of caring for his mentally unstable mother, two sisters, and younger brother.
Set in the Dutch East Indies during WWII, this story of pain and suffering, as well as love, sacrifice, and generosity, kept me turning page after page. Man's inhumanity, as well as man's willingness to sacrifice, is stark.
Seventy years have passed and Jeremiah finally reveals a most painful secret which has affected him and all his relationships significantly. As the narrative moves from the prison camp and jumps to the present, the tone changes--and it became more difficult for me to connect with it. However, that disconnect reflects the disconnect which Jeremiah has experienced all his life.
Another significant theme is the use/misuse of power--in every venue, with every group (including children and families, prisoners or guards).
The book has Christian themes which are woven unobtrusively, but effectively into the narrative.
I could read this book again--but my stack of "to-be-reads" is high!
Set in the Dutch East Indies during WWII, this story of pain and suffering, as well as love, sacrifice, and generosity, kept me turning page after page. Man's inhumanity, as well as man's willingness to sacrifice, is stark.
Seventy years have passed and Jeremiah finally reveals a most painful secret which has affected him and all his relationships significantly. As the narrative moves from the prison camp and jumps to the present, the tone changes--and it became more difficult for me to connect with it. However, that disconnect reflects the disconnect which Jeremiah has experienced all his life.
Another significant theme is the use/misuse of power--in every venue, with every group (including children and families, prisoners or guards).
The book has Christian themes which are woven unobtrusively, but effectively into the narrative.
I could read this book again--but my stack of "to-be-reads" is high!
October 14, 2014
Monday, October 13, 2014
Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer, © 2014
This is a work of fiction. Apart from well-known people, events, and locales that figure into the narrative, all names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. --The publisher.
In March of 1957, much in love, with all that they owned in suitcases, a young couple from the Netherlands boarded a ship to cross the Atlantic for an unknown future in Canada, both leaving behind the events of what the Great War had inflicted on them as children.
As a small girl, she watched German soldiers take away her father for hiding a Jew in their house. Halfway across the world, at about the same time, Japanese soldiers forced the boy’s father and older brothers onto the flatbed of a truck that left the boy and the other siblings behind.
In Holland, the girl’s father eventually returned, but she endured the remainder of the Nazi occupation without her mother, who died from pneumonia. In the Dutch East Indies, the boy’s father did not return, a victim of the brutal conditions of forced labor during the building of the infamous Burma railway, and the boy spent his war years with his mother and remaining siblings barely surviving a series of concentration camps.
All these years later, at the time of the writing of this novel, they are still together, still much in love. They have six children, fifteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In the truest sense, this novel was inspired by that young couple—by stories of their childhoods and by how they lived and loved since that Atlantic crossing—my parents Willem and Gerda. Because of their example, it was not difficult to imagine another decades-long journey in Thief of Glory, where Jeremiah and Laura share a similar enduring love. --author Sigmund Brouwer
Devastation of a people and a home, Jeremiah Prins looks back on his life as a young boy to manhood in a time set apart from the sound of birdsong, of children playing in the streets, of mothers calling in the marketplace. Gone, all of it gone. Day-to-day life as it had been known was no more.
There was Laura. A love so profound from the very beginning. Laura, the thought of her kept me going. Change to change, movement to movement. A lifetime ago.
A boy coming of age in a time of war...the love that inspires him to survive.
For ten-year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother.
Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength.
When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God's light and grace, shining through His people. Time and war will test their fortitude, and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.
~*~
As we are rounded up to be taken to one of the Jappenkamps by the Japanese soldiers in the fall of 1942, I returned to our house to take the mattress from our parents' bed. I am amazed to see for the first time, papers lining the walls with sketches of our days, drawn by my mother in her haze of mental disparity. Beautiful. They are so accurate. She does see us.
Then another sketch caught my eye. It was me, with my mother. We were holding hands, and her dress swirled at her ankles as if the wind were flirting with her. She and I never held hands. In this sketch she also had a smile on her face that I'd never seen before, and nothing about my eyes in that sketch looked as intense and cold as the eyes I sometimes saw in a mirror. Instead, happiness shone from my face.
--Thief of Glory, 57.
I have read The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron this year, and accounts of Corrie ten Boom's concentration camp writings, and Anne Frank, previously. Thief of Glory brings forth historical happenings not readily revealed in such detail. Written in first person narrative, this story embodies thoughts and feelings with the intensity of being there. The strength of the women as they bond together as best they can, children being exposed to horrors beyond their years.
Thief of Glory is very well written by author Sigmund Brouwer, carrying the wit and survival tactics of Jeremiah, known as Jemmy to his young brother, Pietje. Caring and looking out for his other siblings too, Nikki and Aniek, Jeremiah becomes the overseer of his family in places his mother is unable to, especially when she retreats into her unknown world.
The story is written in a remembering stage, looking back. Such memories would be embedded in the heart and soul. Not wanting his daughter, Rachel, to be entangled in what Jeremiah had endured, he agrees to tell her the story ~ revealed through his detailed writings to be read after his passing. Such is love, to protect. Reconciliation of hearts beginning, clear the way to understanding.
War atrocities in each generation portrayed in daily putting one foot before the other to survive. This story will be remembered.
Sigmund’s father talks about his boyhood in an internment camp in the Dutch East Indies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqIAT...
Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of nearly thirty novels, with close to 4 million books in print. Based on his inspiration for Thief of Glory, which Sigmund wrote as a way to learn and honor the his parent’s stories, especially of his father’s boyhood in a Japanese concentration camp, Sigmund leads The Chapters of Our Lives memoir seminars across the United States and Canada. Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two daughters. View further background writings at http://thiefofglory.com.
***Thank you to Blogging for Books for sending me a copy of Sigmund Brouwer's Thief of Glory to review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Thief of Glory by Sigmund Brouwer, © 2014
This is a work of fiction. Apart from well-known people, events, and locales that figure into the narrative, all names, characters, places, and incidents are the products of the author's imagination and are used fictitiously. --The publisher.
In March of 1957, much in love, with all that they owned in suitcases, a young couple from the Netherlands boarded a ship to cross the Atlantic for an unknown future in Canada, both leaving behind the events of what the Great War had inflicted on them as children.
As a small girl, she watched German soldiers take away her father for hiding a Jew in their house. Halfway across the world, at about the same time, Japanese soldiers forced the boy’s father and older brothers onto the flatbed of a truck that left the boy and the other siblings behind.
In Holland, the girl’s father eventually returned, but she endured the remainder of the Nazi occupation without her mother, who died from pneumonia. In the Dutch East Indies, the boy’s father did not return, a victim of the brutal conditions of forced labor during the building of the infamous Burma railway, and the boy spent his war years with his mother and remaining siblings barely surviving a series of concentration camps.
All these years later, at the time of the writing of this novel, they are still together, still much in love. They have six children, fifteen grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. In the truest sense, this novel was inspired by that young couple—by stories of their childhoods and by how they lived and loved since that Atlantic crossing—my parents Willem and Gerda. Because of their example, it was not difficult to imagine another decades-long journey in Thief of Glory, where Jeremiah and Laura share a similar enduring love. --author Sigmund Brouwer
Devastation of a people and a home, Jeremiah Prins looks back on his life as a young boy to manhood in a time set apart from the sound of birdsong, of children playing in the streets, of mothers calling in the marketplace. Gone, all of it gone. Day-to-day life as it had been known was no more.
There was Laura. A love so profound from the very beginning. Laura, the thought of her kept me going. Change to change, movement to movement. A lifetime ago.
A boy coming of age in a time of war...the love that inspires him to survive.
For ten-year-old Jeremiah Prins, the life of privilege as the son of a school headmaster in the Dutch East Indies comes crashing to a halt in 1942 after the Japanese Imperialist invasion of the Southeast Pacific. Jeremiah takes on the responsibility of caring for his younger siblings when his father and older stepbrothers are separated from the rest of the family, and he is surprised by what life in the camp reveals about a woman he barely knows—his frail, troubled mother.
Amidst starvation, brutality, sacrifice and generosity, Jeremiah draws on all of his courage and cunning to fill in the gap for his mother. Life in the camps is made more tolerable as Jeremiah’s boyhood infatuation with his close friend Laura deepens into a friendship from which they both draw strength.
When the darkest sides of humanity threaten to overwhelm Jeremiah and Laura, they reach for God's light and grace, shining through His people. Time and war will test their fortitude, and the only thing that will bring them safely to the other side is the most enduring bond of all.
~*~
As we are rounded up to be taken to one of the Jappenkamps by the Japanese soldiers in the fall of 1942, I returned to our house to take the mattress from our parents' bed. I am amazed to see for the first time, papers lining the walls with sketches of our days, drawn by my mother in her haze of mental disparity. Beautiful. They are so accurate. She does see us.
Then another sketch caught my eye. It was me, with my mother. We were holding hands, and her dress swirled at her ankles as if the wind were flirting with her. She and I never held hands. In this sketch she also had a smile on her face that I'd never seen before, and nothing about my eyes in that sketch looked as intense and cold as the eyes I sometimes saw in a mirror. Instead, happiness shone from my face.
--Thief of Glory, 57.
I have read The Butterfly and the Violin by Kristy Cambron this year, and accounts of Corrie ten Boom's concentration camp writings, and Anne Frank, previously. Thief of Glory brings forth historical happenings not readily revealed in such detail. Written in first person narrative, this story embodies thoughts and feelings with the intensity of being there. The strength of the women as they bond together as best they can, children being exposed to horrors beyond their years.
Thief of Glory is very well written by author Sigmund Brouwer, carrying the wit and survival tactics of Jeremiah, known as Jemmy to his young brother, Pietje. Caring and looking out for his other siblings too, Nikki and Aniek, Jeremiah becomes the overseer of his family in places his mother is unable to, especially when she retreats into her unknown world.
The story is written in a remembering stage, looking back. Such memories would be embedded in the heart and soul. Not wanting his daughter, Rachel, to be entangled in what Jeremiah had endured, he agrees to tell her the story ~ revealed through his detailed writings to be read after his passing. Such is love, to protect. Reconciliation of hearts beginning, clear the way to understanding.
War atrocities in each generation portrayed in daily putting one foot before the other to survive. This story will be remembered.
Sigmund’s father talks about his boyhood in an internment camp in the Dutch East Indies https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oqIAT...
Sigmund Brouwer is the best-selling author of nearly thirty novels, with close to 4 million books in print. Based on his inspiration for Thief of Glory, which Sigmund wrote as a way to learn and honor the his parent’s stories, especially of his father’s boyhood in a Japanese concentration camp, Sigmund leads The Chapters of Our Lives memoir seminars across the United States and Canada. Sigmund is married to recording artist Cindy Morgan and has two daughters. View further background writings at http://thiefofglory.com.
***Thank you to Blogging for Books for sending me a copy of Sigmund Brouwer's Thief of Glory to review. This review was written in my own words. No other compensation was received.***
Want to read
July 3, 2019I'm so torn on my opinion of this book! Reading other reviews didn't help me make up my mind... So, not going to give it stars.
This book was really well written, the story was engaging, and the characters all seemed real. The historical aspect was very interesting, and accurate. I couldn't put it down, and it was very thought provoking. There was even a Princess Bride reference! I'm tempted to give it 4 stars.
The downside - Jeremiah is simultaneously likeable and a jerk. He is much better than some other characters in the story, which is probably his redeeming quality, but in any other circumstance he would be very dislikable. His good traits were simultaneously his bad traits, and due to his lack of feeling, his motives are not admirable. He doesn't have much positive character development.
There were some really violent parts in this book, not just by the soldiers {which would be expected}, which I would have preferred toned down a little. The book is not really Christian fiction, the back blurb is not very helpful.
As a side note this book was really dark all the way through - of course it's expected to be sad considering that it is about a Japanese war camp. But nothing happy really ever happens, not even when the war is over. Compared to all the other WWII prison camp books I've read, or movies that I've watched, I can only think of one as dark as this.
This book was really well written, the story was engaging, and the characters all seemed real. The historical aspect was very interesting, and accurate. I couldn't put it down, and it was very thought provoking. There was even a Princess Bride reference! I'm tempted to give it 4 stars.
The downside - Jeremiah is simultaneously likeable and a jerk. He is much better than some other characters in the story, which is probably his redeeming quality, but in any other circumstance he would be very dislikable. His good traits were simultaneously his bad traits, and due to his lack of feeling, his motives are not admirable. He doesn't have much positive character development.
There were some really violent parts in this book, not just by the soldiers {which would be expected}, which I would have preferred toned down a little. The book is not really Christian fiction, the back blurb is not very helpful.
As a side note this book was really dark all the way through - of course it's expected to be sad considering that it is about a Japanese war camp. But nothing happy really ever happens, not even when the war is over. Compared to all the other WWII prison camp books I've read, or movies that I've watched, I can only think of one as dark as this.
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