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Penang #2
Prisoner from Penang
“Wow... What a story, I was unable to put the book down… I went through every emotion under the sun.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
An incredible story of the courage of two ordinary women incarcerated on the Indonesian islands during WW2, inspired by real-life events.
1941, When Mary Helston flees her beloved home on the beautiful tropical island of Penang, as it comes under attack, she thinks her heart can’t suffer any more than it has already. She’s about to be proved wrong.
Mary, already heartbroken after the loss of her fiancé, travels through the night with countless other women in the desperate hope of reaching safety in Singapore. But it’s not long before the bombs start to fall there too and the women are captured as they try to escape.
Interned in desperate circumstances, with just a narrow strip of azure sky to remind her of the verdant jungle beyond the camp and the life she left behind, Mary discovers that Veronica Leighton – the vain and selfish woman she crossed paths with at cocktail parties back on Penang – is imprisoned there too.
But, to her surprise, Veronica seems to have discovered her purpose here, finding bold and ingenious ways to protect her fellow prisoners and provide comfort in captivity. And when Mary begins to succumb to the depths of despair, Veronica makes it her mission to keep her alive.
Together, the women learn to rely on one another, forge a friendship and find the strength to endure the darkest time of their lives. The battle for survival will change them all forever.
Heart-wrenching and deeply moving, Prisoner from Penang explores the courage and heroism of the women and children who were incarcerated in Japanese internment camps during WW2. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Nightingale you’ll adore this powerful story of resilience, hope and humanity.
Readers are utterly gripped by Prisoner from
“I simply couldn't put this book down. Spellbound…” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“A vivid and moving story of sacrifice, hope, and humanity.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My heart! This story is so powerful.” Ellie Midwood, author of The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Beautifully written, powerful story. Highly recommend!” Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, author of The American Wife, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What a story. I felt that I was there… Awesome!!!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An amazing story… I couldn’t put this book down.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An absolutely beautiful story written with so much compassion… This story will touch your heart in ways you m
An incredible story of the courage of two ordinary women incarcerated on the Indonesian islands during WW2, inspired by real-life events.
1941, When Mary Helston flees her beloved home on the beautiful tropical island of Penang, as it comes under attack, she thinks her heart can’t suffer any more than it has already. She’s about to be proved wrong.
Mary, already heartbroken after the loss of her fiancé, travels through the night with countless other women in the desperate hope of reaching safety in Singapore. But it’s not long before the bombs start to fall there too and the women are captured as they try to escape.
Interned in desperate circumstances, with just a narrow strip of azure sky to remind her of the verdant jungle beyond the camp and the life she left behind, Mary discovers that Veronica Leighton – the vain and selfish woman she crossed paths with at cocktail parties back on Penang – is imprisoned there too.
But, to her surprise, Veronica seems to have discovered her purpose here, finding bold and ingenious ways to protect her fellow prisoners and provide comfort in captivity. And when Mary begins to succumb to the depths of despair, Veronica makes it her mission to keep her alive.
Together, the women learn to rely on one another, forge a friendship and find the strength to endure the darkest time of their lives. The battle for survival will change them all forever.
Heart-wrenching and deeply moving, Prisoner from Penang explores the courage and heroism of the women and children who were incarcerated in Japanese internment camps during WW2. If you loved The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Nightingale you’ll adore this powerful story of resilience, hope and humanity.
Readers are utterly gripped by Prisoner from
“I simply couldn't put this book down. Spellbound…” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐“A vivid and moving story of sacrifice, hope, and humanity.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“My heart! This story is so powerful.” Ellie Midwood, author of The Girl Who Escaped from Auschwitz, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Beautifully written, powerful story. Highly recommend!” Chrystyna Lucyk-Berger, author of The American Wife, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“What a story. I felt that I was there… Awesome!!!” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An amazing story… I couldn’t put this book down.” Reader review, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“An absolutely beautiful story written with so much compassion… This story will touch your heart in ways you m
180 pages, Kindle Edition
Published November 22, 2023
891 people are currently reading
313 people want to read
About the author
Clare Flynn
45 books221 followersClare Flynn is the author of twety historical novels and a collection of short stories. She is the 2020 winner of the UK Selfies Adult Fiction prize for her best-selling novel The Pearl of Penang, was shortlisted for the RNA Industry Awards Indie Champion of the Year for 2021 and won the award in 2022.
Clare lives in Eastbourne. on the south coast of the UK. She is a fluent Italian speaker and loves spending time in Italy. In her spare time she likes to quilt, paint and travel often and widely as possible.
Clare Flynn is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an active member of The Romantic Novelists Association, The Historical Writers Association, The Alliance of Independent Authors and The Society of Authors. More information about her books can be found at www.clareflynn.co.uk
Clare lives in Eastbourne. on the south coast of the UK. She is a fluent Italian speaker and loves spending time in Italy. In her spare time she likes to quilt, paint and travel often and widely as possible.
Clare Flynn is a Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts, an active member of The Romantic Novelists Association, The Historical Writers Association, The Alliance of Independent Authors and The Society of Authors. More information about her books can be found at www.clareflynn.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 64 reviews
September 19, 2020
After the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor it’s the start of the war in the pacific, they easily take Malay and they have their sights set on Singapore. Mary Helston flees Penang with her mother Janet, they arrive in Singapore praying they would be safe and surely the Japanese army would be stopped. The British army assumed if the Japanese attacked Singapore it would be via the sea and of course it wasn’t the case. Two months later Mary and her mother have to flee on the last boat to leave Singapore, but the Japanese are relentless and the boat is quickly over taken.
This is the beginning of Mary’s time as a prisoner of the Japanese, for over three years she and her fellow captives mainly women and children are moved countless times. They are forced to march from camp to camp, starved, they receive no medical supplies, and many become sick with tropical diseases and all are suffering from malnutrition. They find strength to carry on despite the cruel treatment by the Japanese and the women are completely shut off from the outside world.
Prisoner from Penang is a sequel to The Pearl of Penang, both Mary Helston and Veronica Leighton are familiar characters from the first book, we read about their awful experiences as captives of the Japanese, it’s worse than anyone could imagine and how Veronica redeems herself to Mary and the other women in the camp. I can’t wait to read third book in the series The Painter in Penang. I highly recommend both books and I gave Prisoner from Penang five stars and I read it in a day. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
This is the beginning of Mary’s time as a prisoner of the Japanese, for over three years she and her fellow captives mainly women and children are moved countless times. They are forced to march from camp to camp, starved, they receive no medical supplies, and many become sick with tropical diseases and all are suffering from malnutrition. They find strength to carry on despite the cruel treatment by the Japanese and the women are completely shut off from the outside world.
Prisoner from Penang is a sequel to The Pearl of Penang, both Mary Helston and Veronica Leighton are familiar characters from the first book, we read about their awful experiences as captives of the Japanese, it’s worse than anyone could imagine and how Veronica redeems herself to Mary and the other women in the camp. I can’t wait to read third book in the series The Painter in Penang. I highly recommend both books and I gave Prisoner from Penang five stars and I read it in a day. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/
April 17, 2020
My heart! This story was so powerful, it took me a few days to gather my thoughts and write a review that would fully explain what I felt. Through Mary’s diary, I learned about the Japanese invasion of Singapore and the brutalities that were inflicted on the civilian population right after. What Mary, a young teacher who had just lost her fiancé to war, had to go through at the hands of her ruthless captors is truly difficult to describe. Yet, her resilience and will to survive - if not for herself but for her mother or her young charge - are truly admirable. Unbearable living conditions, miserable rations, lack of clean water and medicaments turned the prisoners’ lives into hell on earth, but the worst was yet to come when one of the guards began showing interest in Mary.
Another character that was wonderfully complex was Veronica. Just like Mary, I watched her transform into a completely different person, who soon became not only a true pillar for the harassed women but a true hero, who was ready to sacrifice herself for their sake. The setting was brilliantly described and made me feel like I was actually there, which made the experience even more chilling. And yet, hope shines even through the darkest of times; I think it’s exactly that hope that made “Prisoners from Penang” such a powerful read for me. This is my first story by Clare Flynn but it definitely won’t be the last. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
Another character that was wonderfully complex was Veronica. Just like Mary, I watched her transform into a completely different person, who soon became not only a true pillar for the harassed women but a true hero, who was ready to sacrifice herself for their sake. The setting was brilliantly described and made me feel like I was actually there, which made the experience even more chilling. And yet, hope shines even through the darkest of times; I think it’s exactly that hope that made “Prisoners from Penang” such a powerful read for me. This is my first story by Clare Flynn but it definitely won’t be the last. Highly recommended to all historical fiction lovers!
April 22, 2020
Brilliantly written and very moving .
Following the evacuation of Singapore during World War II, Mary, her mother and so many other women end up in Japanese war camps. The majority of this book is written as a memoir of Mary's experiences. It is a hard book to read, the atrocities, depravity and suffering that these women went through is so mind blowing, that I had to walk away from it on several occasions.
Clare Flynn never disappoints, and this book , like all of her others, has been so well written and researched.
On a personal note, my father served in Penang and Singapore during World War II, and I had always wondered why he never talked about it; now I understand.
Although this book can be disturbing in parts, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it.
Following the evacuation of Singapore during World War II, Mary, her mother and so many other women end up in Japanese war camps. The majority of this book is written as a memoir of Mary's experiences. It is a hard book to read, the atrocities, depravity and suffering that these women went through is so mind blowing, that I had to walk away from it on several occasions.
Clare Flynn never disappoints, and this book , like all of her others, has been so well written and researched.
On a personal note, my father served in Penang and Singapore during World War II, and I had always wondered why he never talked about it; now I understand.
Although this book can be disturbing in parts, I have absolutely no hesitation in recommending it.
April 20, 2020
Awesome book
Really enjoyed Mary's story. Though horrifying, it was a story that needed to be told. Very well written story. Would highly recommend.
Really enjoyed Mary's story. Though horrifying, it was a story that needed to be told. Very well written story. Would highly recommend.
September 30, 2022
Tänkte på serien "Fem svarta höns" hela tiden (baserad på A Town Like Alice). Betydligt mer allvarlig och sorgsen än bok nummer 1 i Penang-serien. Som en liten historielektion.
September 9, 2020
Excellent writing and it reads like it was first hand experience by the author when in fact it was a compilation of experiences from others. The book that will always remain at the top of my list is the book upon which the movie paradise road was based. This was a true accounting of how horrible it was to be a prisoner of war and that it was difficult to assimilate back into society afterwards.
July 14, 2020
After devouring The Pearl of Penang, I read Prisoner from Penang almost immediately, and found it equally as compelling. I want to say ‘entertaining’ but due to the subject matter, one can’t be really entertained by such hardship and heartache. However, it is far from a depressing read.
We follow the story of Evie’s friend, Mary, from The Pearl of Penang, who flees to Singapore in 1940 believing it a safe place. However, the British are no match for the attacking Japanese and after being captured at sea, Mary and her mother are imprisoned on the Sumatran islands.
The author’s skill at drawing life-life characters makes us sympathetic to Mary’s, and the other women’s plights: the lack of hygiene, starvation, disease and hard work they must endure. We can readily imagine the unbelievable cruelty the prisoners suffered at the hands of the Japansese.
However, as I said, even as parts of this story might move you to tears, it’s not a depressing read. An excellent sequel to The Pearl of Penang, I would highly recommend Prisoner from Penang.
We follow the story of Evie’s friend, Mary, from The Pearl of Penang, who flees to Singapore in 1940 believing it a safe place. However, the British are no match for the attacking Japanese and after being captured at sea, Mary and her mother are imprisoned on the Sumatran islands.
The author’s skill at drawing life-life characters makes us sympathetic to Mary’s, and the other women’s plights: the lack of hygiene, starvation, disease and hard work they must endure. We can readily imagine the unbelievable cruelty the prisoners suffered at the hands of the Japansese.
However, as I said, even as parts of this story might move you to tears, it’s not a depressing read. An excellent sequel to The Pearl of Penang, I would highly recommend Prisoner from Penang.
September 2, 2022
This book describes some of the harshest, most extreme situations from history with a cup of tea and a cake. It's as if author is nibbling on Victoria sponge while browsing through somebody else's diaries, or photographs, and all that extreme human suffering fails to produce any kind of emotional response.
There are some touched-on stories and characters with terrific potential for a masterpiece that would move anyone to tears, but Clair Flynn is not the author willing or able to get her hands dirty and her heart full. She piles us facts as if filling a shopping basket in a supermarket, 'I'll take a bit of this and a bit of that.' Some basic, cliche insights were overexplained, so they loose strength. A meagre attempt was made to explain the damage that wars and letting tortures walk free without punishment leave behind. Perhaps Clare was too cautions not to offend anyone. Wanting to be liked too much has killed too many authors and artists. Clair needed to get angry - after all her main character was brutalised. The real victims of war are very different from people sitting in their little rooms with laptops imagining life.
The only emotion, this badly portrayed protagonist, or author's unlived self, has managed to show, is a hate for women who are more intense, interesting, more beautiful, more full of life and who men adore as they bathe in the generosity of such souls. This book lacks the energy of such souls that author envies. The book is dull, it misses life and generosity; it lacks pain felt by the author as she researches the subject tirelessly dying for her art. None of that. That's what generous people do. We don't want to know that something smells bad, we want to know how it smells, we want to smell it. Nothing. This book doesn't smell, it lacks taste, it doesn't do anything apart from provides me with facts that I could easily google. We don't want to know that people were tortured brutally somewhere behind the scene, we want to see them tortured, we want to know what the characters endured and how deep are the laws that humans are capable of reaching. Nothing. This book lacks passion, life, light, heat, and it's a great example of how not to write. This author, despite having written many books (none of the others I read, nor will read) has completely ignored one of the main advises given to the authors: 'Show, don't tell.'
(Claire, please don't write any more books, spend the rest of your life turning this book into a masterpiece. Throw yourself into life, expand on your range of emotions. Live for your art. You stumbled upon a gem of a story, and an amazing character called Veronique Leighton - rewrite the book from her perspective and with her feelings. I would read that book, as I'm sure many others would.) Most people are remembered for one exceptional book that they wrote. Why settle for mediocrity? Milk the potential of this story. Turn yourself into a real author people talk about for the right reasons.
There are some touched-on stories and characters with terrific potential for a masterpiece that would move anyone to tears, but Clair Flynn is not the author willing or able to get her hands dirty and her heart full. She piles us facts as if filling a shopping basket in a supermarket, 'I'll take a bit of this and a bit of that.' Some basic, cliche insights were overexplained, so they loose strength. A meagre attempt was made to explain the damage that wars and letting tortures walk free without punishment leave behind. Perhaps Clare was too cautions not to offend anyone. Wanting to be liked too much has killed too many authors and artists. Clair needed to get angry - after all her main character was brutalised. The real victims of war are very different from people sitting in their little rooms with laptops imagining life.
The only emotion, this badly portrayed protagonist, or author's unlived self, has managed to show, is a hate for women who are more intense, interesting, more beautiful, more full of life and who men adore as they bathe in the generosity of such souls. This book lacks the energy of such souls that author envies. The book is dull, it misses life and generosity; it lacks pain felt by the author as she researches the subject tirelessly dying for her art. None of that. That's what generous people do. We don't want to know that something smells bad, we want to know how it smells, we want to smell it. Nothing. This book doesn't smell, it lacks taste, it doesn't do anything apart from provides me with facts that I could easily google. We don't want to know that people were tortured brutally somewhere behind the scene, we want to see them tortured, we want to know what the characters endured and how deep are the laws that humans are capable of reaching. Nothing. This book lacks passion, life, light, heat, and it's a great example of how not to write. This author, despite having written many books (none of the others I read, nor will read) has completely ignored one of the main advises given to the authors: 'Show, don't tell.'
(Claire, please don't write any more books, spend the rest of your life turning this book into a masterpiece. Throw yourself into life, expand on your range of emotions. Live for your art. You stumbled upon a gem of a story, and an amazing character called Veronique Leighton - rewrite the book from her perspective and with her feelings. I would read that book, as I'm sure many others would.) Most people are remembered for one exceptional book that they wrote. Why settle for mediocrity? Milk the potential of this story. Turn yourself into a real author people talk about for the right reasons.
April 14, 2020
An absolutely beautiful story written with so much compassion for the plight of the men and women and the trials they went through during the war when Japan invaded the beautiful islands around Singapore, Penang, and the Malaysia area. We met School teacher Mary in the previous book Pearl of Penang, this book continues from it, from where all white people were evacuated from Penang. The women with children were immediately put on ships to Australia as soon as they reached Singapore. Mary and her mother were lucky to be met at the train station by the woman Mary hated most in the world, non other than Veronica. The woman who had an affair with her first fiancee and who then tried to steal her new fiancee, even though she is a married woman. We get to see a whole other side to Veronica in this book as we also find out why she is the way she is. When Mary and her mother end up in a concentration camp we get a first hand account of what life is like for the poor souls that ended up there. This story will touch your heart in ways you may never have dreamed you could become so in touch with the people. We also get to see what it is like for people that survive the camps. Ms. Flynn has written this book after much research has been done and you can tell this by the depth of the story. I appreciate learning more about history but the suffering that one group can do to another shocks me. I am so thankful that I live in a country that is free and it makes me appreciate so much more the bravery of the men and women that put their lives on the line every day for us. Please don't think this story is all sadness there is more than just the time in the camps. There is the strength of the the human spirit to build a new life. This is Mary's story and it also brings Evie back for a visit and other friends from Mary's past. I loved how it ended and I'm looking forward to reading more about these ladies and the continuing life in Penang.
I received a free download of this book and I am thrilled to be able to leave my own honest opinion of this book.
I received a free download of this book and I am thrilled to be able to leave my own honest opinion of this book.
August 7, 2020
Sequel to Pearl of Penanag
Mary Helston is a young woman when World War II overspills into Singapore and the women and children are forced to evacuate. As we hear of the recent death of her fiance – a pilot shot down by the Japanese – we also learn that Mary's first fiance had committed suicide following an affair with Veronica Langton, one of the circle of sophisticated ladies that comprise Society in Singapore.
Mary and her mother are part of a crowded ship that is to take them to safety, but it is attacked by the Japanese navy and the captain surrenders. From there, the women are taken to a makeshift camp and their nightmares begin.
The book is divided into two parts. The first of these comprises Mary's memoirs written after the war and is in the past tense. It tells of the conditions, sufferings, diseases, maltreatment, torture and, sadly, death amongst the prisoners. It is not written in graphic detail, but it doesn't need to be for the author puts over all these inhumanities with such a skilful pen that we don't have to imagine how horrific it must have been for the real women who endured those terrible times.
I would have liked to see a little more dialogue as Ms Flynn handles those very well, especially a particularly poignant scene between Mary and Veronica – bitter enemies but each earning the respect of the other. However, I can see that as a purported memoir 'Tell' rather than 'Show' is probably more appropriate.
Part Two is written in the present tense as Mary, back in Singapore after the war's end, struggles with her life, her memories and a future that she views as pointless. But a chance meeting changes all that which, without wishing to get into the realm of spoilers, the reader will find very emotional.
If you remember and watched the TV series Tenko, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel as I did
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
Mary Helston is a young woman when World War II overspills into Singapore and the women and children are forced to evacuate. As we hear of the recent death of her fiance – a pilot shot down by the Japanese – we also learn that Mary's first fiance had committed suicide following an affair with Veronica Langton, one of the circle of sophisticated ladies that comprise Society in Singapore.
Mary and her mother are part of a crowded ship that is to take them to safety, but it is attacked by the Japanese navy and the captain surrenders. From there, the women are taken to a makeshift camp and their nightmares begin.
The book is divided into two parts. The first of these comprises Mary's memoirs written after the war and is in the past tense. It tells of the conditions, sufferings, diseases, maltreatment, torture and, sadly, death amongst the prisoners. It is not written in graphic detail, but it doesn't need to be for the author puts over all these inhumanities with such a skilful pen that we don't have to imagine how horrific it must have been for the real women who endured those terrible times.
I would have liked to see a little more dialogue as Ms Flynn handles those very well, especially a particularly poignant scene between Mary and Veronica – bitter enemies but each earning the respect of the other. However, I can see that as a purported memoir 'Tell' rather than 'Show' is probably more appropriate.
Part Two is written in the present tense as Mary, back in Singapore after the war's end, struggles with her life, her memories and a future that she views as pointless. But a chance meeting changes all that which, without wishing to get into the realm of spoilers, the reader will find very emotional.
If you remember and watched the TV series Tenko, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel as I did
Originally Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
August 7, 2020
Mary Helston is a young woman when World War II overspills into Singapore and the women and children are forced to evacuate. As we hear of the recent death of her fiance – a pilot shot down by the Japanese – we also learn that Mary's first fiance had committed suicide following an affair with Veronica Langton, one of the circle of sophisticated ladies that comprise Society in Singapore.
Mary and her mother are part of a crowded ship that is to take them to safety, but it is attacked by the Japanese navy and the captain surrenders. From there, the women are taken to a makeshift camp and their nightmares begin.
The book is divided into two parts. The first of these comprises Mary's memoirs written after the war and is in the past tense. It tells of the conditions, sufferings, diseases, maltreatment, torture and, sadly, death amongst the prisoners. It is not written in graphic detail, but it doesn't need to be for the author puts over all these inhumanities with such a skilful pen that we don't have to imagine how horrific it must have been for the real women who endured those terrible times.
I would have liked to see a little more dialogue as Ms Flynn handles those very well, especially a particularly poignant scene between Mary and Veronica – bitter enemies but each earning the respect of the other. However, I can see that as a purported memoir 'Tell' rather than 'Show' is probably more appropriate.
Part Two is written in the present tense as Mary, back in Singapore after the war's end, struggles with her life, her memories and a future that she views as pointless. But a chance meeting changes all that which, without wishing to get into the realm of spoilers, the reader will find very emotional.
If you remember and watched the TV series Tenko, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel as I did
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
Mary and her mother are part of a crowded ship that is to take them to safety, but it is attacked by the Japanese navy and the captain surrenders. From there, the women are taken to a makeshift camp and their nightmares begin.
The book is divided into two parts. The first of these comprises Mary's memoirs written after the war and is in the past tense. It tells of the conditions, sufferings, diseases, maltreatment, torture and, sadly, death amongst the prisoners. It is not written in graphic detail, but it doesn't need to be for the author puts over all these inhumanities with such a skilful pen that we don't have to imagine how horrific it must have been for the real women who endured those terrible times.
I would have liked to see a little more dialogue as Ms Flynn handles those very well, especially a particularly poignant scene between Mary and Veronica – bitter enemies but each earning the respect of the other. However, I can see that as a purported memoir 'Tell' rather than 'Show' is probably more appropriate.
Part Two is written in the present tense as Mary, back in Singapore after the war's end, struggles with her life, her memories and a future that she views as pointless. But a chance meeting changes all that which, without wishing to get into the realm of spoilers, the reader will find very emotional.
If you remember and watched the TV series Tenko, then you will thoroughly enjoy this novel as I did
Reviewed for Discovering Diamonds
June 18, 2021
What a horrible war and the people in it,from the civilians of English decent to the 039or who lived on the island,they were captured and killed or captured and lived through the horrible war to live to tell their story where they will never ever be the same! You have the horrible war with the Germans but this is with China,the Japanese and the take over of this beautiful island. This is about how two best friends made it through the war and where they spent it and how their families survived and how some did not! The way this is written I felt like I was with these people as they tried to survive being prisoners and being starved and beaten and sick with no help in sight but themselves! I'm so glad this series was written because there are not very many books written about this side of the world,this war! Grab tissues you will need them. Watch how love and courage can get you through each and every day and the horrible aftermath that goes with you as you come out on the other side of surviving,you either become stronger or you crumble.. Watch how these two women and families come out of it and find each other again or will they??
August 9, 2020
After devouring The Pearl of Penang, I read Prisoner from Penang almost immediately, and found it equally as compelling. I want to say ‘entertaining’ but due to the subject matter, one can’t be really entertained by such hardship and heartache. However, it is far from a depressing read.
We follow the story of Evie’s friend, Mary, from The Pearl of Penang, who flees to Singapore in 1940 believing it a safe place. However, the British are no match for the attacking Japanese and after being captured at sea, Mary and her mother are imprisoned on the Sumatran islands.
The author’s skill at drawing life-life characters makes us sympathetic to Mary’s, and the other women’s plights: the lack of hygiene, starvation, disease and hard work they must endure. We can readily imagine the unbelievable cruelty the prisoners suffered at the hands of the Japansese.
However, as I said, even as parts of this story might move you to tears, it’s not a depressing read. An excellent sequel to The Pearl of Penang, I would highly recommend Prisoner from Penang.
We follow the story of Evie’s friend, Mary, from The Pearl of Penang, who flees to Singapore in 1940 believing it a safe place. However, the British are no match for the attacking Japanese and after being captured at sea, Mary and her mother are imprisoned on the Sumatran islands.
The author’s skill at drawing life-life characters makes us sympathetic to Mary’s, and the other women’s plights: the lack of hygiene, starvation, disease and hard work they must endure. We can readily imagine the unbelievable cruelty the prisoners suffered at the hands of the Japansese.
However, as I said, even as parts of this story might move you to tears, it’s not a depressing read. An excellent sequel to The Pearl of Penang, I would highly recommend Prisoner from Penang.
May 18, 2023
Mary Helston, a teacher in Penang at the beginning of World War II, is forced, along with her mother and other English women, to evacuate as the Japanese move in. But getting to safety proves impossible and they are made prisoners. As the years drag by and as they are forced to move to ever more squalid camps and endure impossible conditions, Mary has to draw upon every ounce of strength she possesses. The women learn to depend upon each other to supplement their own abilities but Mary is emotionally, mentally, and physically depleted as liberation finally comes.
This book was fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Although I have a history degree and taught history for many years, my knowledge of the Japanese occupation of southeastern Asia was very limited. This story is based upon actual events and not spoken or written about for many years. In this time of suppression of what is harsh or unlovely to remember, this book reminds me that the past isn't dead and shouldn't be ignored.
This book was fascinating and horrifying at the same time. Although I have a history degree and taught history for many years, my knowledge of the Japanese occupation of southeastern Asia was very limited. This story is based upon actual events and not spoken or written about for many years. In this time of suppression of what is harsh or unlovely to remember, this book reminds me that the past isn't dead and shouldn't be ignored.
October 28, 2020
A vivid and moving story of sacrifice, hope, and humanity set in Penang at the end of 1941 and the Japanese have attacked. Believing Singapore will be safe Mary Helston heads there but findS that the supposedly invincible British stronghold is on the brink of collapse and that the enemy is advancing. Having been captured at sea, Mary and her mother are interned on the islands of Sumatra along with Veronica Leighton, who Mary hates with a passion. However as the women struggle to adapt with there imprisonment and cope in captivity all of their relationships and friendships are tested, especially as starvation takes hold and the lack of medication and the spreading diseases worsen. This is a heartwarming and at times heart breaking novel about the women’s battle for survival. I was hooked from page one and found the storyline gripping. The author really bought the period and the setting of the novel to life. The detailed descriptions along with the wonderful narrative made this an enjoyable and engaging read. Book two in a series, this can also be read as a standalone story. A definite five star read.
December 13, 2020
No. 2 in the series!
Another page-turner! Although the books stand alone, this is a series of 3. Told by a friend of the Barrington 's, she takes up the story from their separation in Singapore. Her ship is captured by the Japanese & they are marched to 4 different camps in Malaya. The Japanese had their own codes for treatment of prisoners, and the survivors liberated by the Allies, are skeletons - that is, those whom hadn't been shot, tortured or died of malaria & dengue fever. HOWEVER, interesting how the story reminds us that under pressure, the best n worst of some people becomes apparent. Leaders materialise, organisers come forth, the compassionate care for the sick and others just get on and do.... There will always be the whingers, betrayers n detractors, but MOST shine under stress!!
Another page-turner! Although the books stand alone, this is a series of 3. Told by a friend of the Barrington 's, she takes up the story from their separation in Singapore. Her ship is captured by the Japanese & they are marched to 4 different camps in Malaya. The Japanese had their own codes for treatment of prisoners, and the survivors liberated by the Allies, are skeletons - that is, those whom hadn't been shot, tortured or died of malaria & dengue fever. HOWEVER, interesting how the story reminds us that under pressure, the best n worst of some people becomes apparent. Leaders materialise, organisers come forth, the compassionate care for the sick and others just get on and do.... There will always be the whingers, betrayers n detractors, but MOST shine under stress!!
September 3, 2022
If you’ve ever seen the movies Paradise Road or Empire of the Sun and liked them then you will like this book.
Like Paradise Road white women in the Pacific during WWII were captured by the Japanese and held hostage.
Many of them died of starvation, tortured and disease.
This story follows one woman, her family and her friends during this horrific journey and their lives after the war.
I liked the strong female lead, Mary, it’s a book that made me think and not a book that I wanted to finish quickly.
I enjoyed the historical content based on true events.
It’s a story of survival and determination.
Like Paradise Road white women in the Pacific during WWII were captured by the Japanese and held hostage.
Many of them died of starvation, tortured and disease.
This story follows one woman, her family and her friends during this horrific journey and their lives after the war.
I liked the strong female lead, Mary, it’s a book that made me think and not a book that I wanted to finish quickly.
I enjoyed the historical content based on true events.
It’s a story of survival and determination.
January 6, 2026
very emotional read
This is based on real events and gosh you can really feel it. We will probably never truly grasp the horrors of this time but this book tries its hardest and does it really well. It was quite an emotional read, told as a memoir by Mary which I think was absolutely brilliant. Definitely a great read.
Favourite quotes include:
Death doesn’t discriminate. It takes its victims whenever a chance arises. And war gives death so many chances. A veritable feast of opportunities to harvest people and to do so in cruel and unendingly creative ways.
But if I learnt one thing in those camps, it was that love sustains while hate corrodes and destroys.
This is based on real events and gosh you can really feel it. We will probably never truly grasp the horrors of this time but this book tries its hardest and does it really well. It was quite an emotional read, told as a memoir by Mary which I think was absolutely brilliant. Definitely a great read.
Favourite quotes include:
Death doesn’t discriminate. It takes its victims whenever a chance arises. And war gives death so many chances. A veritable feast of opportunities to harvest people and to do so in cruel and unendingly creative ways.
But if I learnt one thing in those camps, it was that love sustains while hate corrodes and destroys.
September 18, 2020
I couldn’t put this book down; it’s an engaging and evocative novel portraying a difficult subject: the terrible treatment of prisoners taken by the Japanese in WWII. The use of a memoir style made it very personal, and the fact that parts of it are so painful to read is a testament to Clare Flynn’s wonderful writing.
As always, the descriptions are rich in colour and the characters are well-drawn, making you anxious for their happy ever after ending. I’m looking forward to the third in the series now!
As always, the descriptions are rich in colour and the characters are well-drawn, making you anxious for their happy ever after ending. I’m looking forward to the third in the series now!
October 28, 2021
A fictionalised story set in WWII. Brits and other Europeans in Malaysia and Singapore were imprisoned by the Japanese in concentration camps and submitted to the most horrendous deprivations and cruelty.
This story doesn't harp over the horrors but it also does skip over them.
It is a follow-up to the 'Pearl of Penang which was Evie's story. This is Mary's story - it follows Evie's in time.
It kept me wanting to know what happens but it is an easy read and doesn't require a lot of concentration.
This story doesn't harp over the horrors but it also does skip over them.
It is a follow-up to the 'Pearl of Penang which was Evie's story. This is Mary's story - it follows Evie's in time.
It kept me wanting to know what happens but it is an easy read and doesn't require a lot of concentration.
April 19, 2020
Historical fiction
Beautifully written! A important story told in a way that transports you to the war and makes you live it yourself. I have always been fascinated by WWII and learning more about the people that lived through that era. They were all heroes in my book. They have inspired me. Even the fictional characters like in this book because they are based on composites of real people. Keep the books coming Claire Flynn!! Each one just gets better.
Beautifully written! A important story told in a way that transports you to the war and makes you live it yourself. I have always been fascinated by WWII and learning more about the people that lived through that era. They were all heroes in my book. They have inspired me. Even the fictional characters like in this book because they are based on composites of real people. Keep the books coming Claire Flynn!! Each one just gets better.
May 15, 2020
Compelling
Read this book immediately after reading the prequel 'Pearl of Penang' and found it to be equally compelling. I love the writer's style and the way the stories unfold, without any predictability. I love to read, but sadly It's been quite a while since I could focus on a book, so I'm thankful to this author for returning the pleasure of reading to me. Now I can't wait to work my way through her other novels.
Read this book immediately after reading the prequel 'Pearl of Penang' and found it to be equally compelling. I love the writer's style and the way the stories unfold, without any predictability. I love to read, but sadly It's been quite a while since I could focus on a book, so I'm thankful to this author for returning the pleasure of reading to me. Now I can't wait to work my way through her other novels.
November 11, 2020
I loved the first book Pearl of Penang but found this sequel boring. Considering the whole focus was on such an horrific subject as war internment camps I thought it totally lacked emotion and was very dry - it was like reading a history documentary rather than fiction. None of the characters seemed to come to life and it was just a factual diary of what happened next. I have the next book Painter of Penang to read and hope that will prove to be a better read.
February 28, 2021
Prisoner from Penang picks up where The Pearl of Penang ends but switches voice to Mary Helston, the teacher who befriends Evie Fraser. The majority of the first half of the book is written in the style of a memoir and describes rather than allows the characters to act in the plot. After the memoir about Mary's treatment by the Japanese during the war, the books ends with a predictable and clichéd plot.
July 5, 2023
An amazing story
This story had so much sadness and pain, that you wonder how anyone can possibly know what normal might be like after so much suffering. What an amazing story of survival through the torturous times Mary spent in Japanese prison camps. The historical events are extremely difficult to process and beyond any understanding. Just why? Then there’s the unanticipated surprise of sudden love and happiness. I couldn’t put this book down.
This story had so much sadness and pain, that you wonder how anyone can possibly know what normal might be like after so much suffering. What an amazing story of survival through the torturous times Mary spent in Japanese prison camps. The historical events are extremely difficult to process and beyond any understanding. Just why? Then there’s the unanticipated surprise of sudden love and happiness. I couldn’t put this book down.
April 18, 2025
This was the second book in this series and I read it in an afternoon - riveting although very sad as it tells the story of the torture and deprivation in Japanese internment camps in the far east. This is mostly Mary’s story from her escape from Penang to Singapore and subsequent capture. What she endured during captivity during the war is beyond the human imagination, but out of this, her life took an unexpected turn. Moving onto the next book!
April 22, 2020
By far her best work yet. Reading this book took me back to family remembrances of their time (before and during) in Japanese POW camps in the Far East. Clare captured this period, the characters and experiences vibrantly in her book. She made it come alive creating a page-turner for the reader. I definitely recommend this as a must read.
May 11, 2020
Wow.....
What a story, I was unable to put the book down once I started reading it. In my opinion this book is more dynamic than the first in the series and that was a good read. I went through every emotion under the sun including having a quiet weep, this book has had quite an affect on me and will stay in my mind for a long time.
What a story, I was unable to put the book down once I started reading it. In my opinion this book is more dynamic than the first in the series and that was a good read. I went through every emotion under the sun including having a quiet weep, this book has had quite an affect on me and will stay in my mind for a long time.
March 26, 2021
For anyone who has visited Penang, or would like to, this trilogy is a must read. The descriptions of life in the Japanese POW camps in this the second in the series are harrowing. The historical aspects of the series from the 1930s to the post war Emergency plus the romantic interludes make this a fascinating read.
January 3, 2023
I simply couldn't put this book down - the story completely spellbound me. Knowing the details of what happened in the POW camps were based on true events made the book all the more engrossing. The descriptions of the South East Asian locations and the jungle were so true to life that I felt transported there.
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