Glorious Boy

by Aimee Liu

It's 1942. The Japanese have invaded Burma and are closing in on India. After five years in the remote Andaman Islands, aspiring anthropologist Claire Durant and her husband Shep, a civil surgeon, must evacuate with their beloved but mysteriously mute four-year-old, Ty. They cannot, however, take Naila, the local girl whose ability to communicate with Ty has made them dangerously dependent on her. The morning of the evacuation, both children disappear. With time running out, Shep forces Claire onto the ship while he stays behind to find their son. But just days after landing in Calcutta, Claire learns that the Japanese have taken the Andamans--and cut off all access to her missing family. In the desperate odyssey that follows, Claire, Shep, and Naila will all take unimaginable risks while drawing deeply from their knowledge of these unique islands to save their beloved "glorious boy."

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Literary Fiction, Audiobook, Asia, Ebooks

344 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2020

About the author

Aimee Liu is a best-selling novelist, essayist, and nonfiction author based in Los Angeles.

Her 2020 novel GLORIOUS BOY, published by Red Hen Press, has received rave endorsements:

"The most memorable and original novel I've read in ages. Aimee Liu… evokes every side in a multi-cultural conversation with sympathy and rare understanding."
– Pico Iyer

“A riveting amalgam of history, family epic, anticolonial/antiwar treatise, cultural crossroads, and more, this latest from best-selling author Liu is a fascinating, irresistible marvel.” — Library Journal, starred review

”This fascinating novel examines the many dimensions of war, from the tragedy of loss to the unexpected relationships formed during conflict. The Andamans are a lush and unusual setting, a sacred home to all kinds of cultures and people, and Liu’s prose is masterful. A good choice for book groups and for readers who are unafraid to be swept away.” — Booklist, starred review

Glorious Boy is a tale of family devotion, war, and survival. Set on India's remote Andaman Islands before and during WWII , the story revolves around a mysteriously mute 4-year-old who vanishes on the eve of Japanese Occupation. Little Ty's parents, Shep and Claire, will go to any lengths to rescue him, but neither is prepared for the brutal odyssey that awaits them.

Aimee is also the author of GAINING: The Truth About Life After Eating Disorders, published by Warner Books, February, 2007. Drawing on her own history of anorexia as well as interviews with more than forty other former anorexics and bulimics, Liu picks up her exploration of recovery where she ended her acclaimed memoir of anorexia nervosa, SOLITAIRE (Harper & Row, 1979), at age twenty-five. Back then, she thought recovery meant eating well. Gaining proves that healthy nutrition is only a first step. True recovery requires a new understanding of the role that genetics, personality, relationships, and anxiety play in these disorders. Liu uses cutting edge research to dispel the myth that fashion is to blame. She examines the real reasons eating disorders -- at all ages -- are on the rise, and how they can be prevented in future generations.

Aimee has three previous novels. FLASH HOUSE (Warner Books, 2003) is a tale of suspense and Cold War intrigue set in Central Asia. CLOUD MOUNTAIN (Warner Books, 1997) is based on the true story of her American grandmother and Chinese revolutionary grandfather. Liu’s first novel, FACE (Warner Books, 1994), deals with mixed-race identity. These books have been translated into more than a dozen languages.

Before turning to writing fulltime, Aimee edited business and trade publications and worked as an associate producer for NBC's TODAY show. She has co-authored seven books on medical and psychological topics. Her articles, essays, and short stories have appeared in anthologies and periodicals such as Cosmopolitan, Self, Glamour, and Good Housekeeping.

Aimee Liu was born in 1953 and raised in Connecticut, received her B.A. from Yale University in 1975 and her MFA from Bennington College in 2006. She lives in Los Angeles with her family; teaches creative writing in Goddard College’s MFA program; and is a past president of the national writers’ organization PEN USA.

Reviews

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this book a few weeks ago, and I keep thinking about it. It has so many of the things I love in fiction - setting so well described that I can feel the breeze, characters so authentic I've known them forever, and a story that won't quit. Add to that Liu's lyrical prose and the historical context, and you've got an unforgettable and important story. I'm really glad I read this book.

[Nursebookie]

I loved GLORIOUS BOY by Aimee Liu. Beautifully written, engrossing and riveting, this is a book that I devoured in a day as I was immersed into the story. This historical fiction book is set in WWII 1940’s in the Andaman Islands, in the Bay of Bengal. The characters were compelling and so is the political backdrop of what was happening historically in that part of the world. The protagonist is Claire Durant an anthropologist doing field study who arrives in the archipelago with her British physician husband, Shep – and while there they have a child Ty who is mute. Ty develops a friendship with Naila who is able to communicate with him. The war brings the Japanese to the island and on the day they are to leave, both Ty and Naila went missing.

This is a truly fantastic read that is multifasceted dealing with tragedy of the war, the human strength of perseverance and survival, parents’ sacrifice and love for their child and hope. This is a wonderfully research novel that is heart wrenching and enlightening read full of depth and deep meaning. I highly recommend this amazing book!

[Cari · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book. Still thinking about it several days later. My review will appear in Booklist.

[Chelsie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Claire and Shep have found the opportunity of a life time. Newly married, they are both off headed to a remote penal colony of Andaman Islands. They are going to do field work, an opportunity Claire never thought would happen for her. She will be going there with intent to study tribes that have never really been studied before. Shep is there as a civil surgeon.

Life on the islands us unlike anything they had ever expected, or could have fathomed. They quickly learn that they are the outsiders and are somewhat at the mercy of those on the islanders. They have to prove that they are not there to harm or hurt, but to observe and understand. To help, and learn new things that are probably unknown to anyone else.

Their plans are changed, mostly for Claire when she becomes sick. But it is not sickness, as in an illness but a new birth. They welcome their son Ty into the world and couldn't be happier. But he is different. The way he observes and focuses on things. He often has what seems to be fits and tantrums, and their servant girl Naila is the only one who seems to be able to connect with him intellectually. The two form an unbreakable bond.

 Claire is often the one who has to try and understand Ty, and each day there is frustration as he refuses to speak or attempt to make any sort of talk. But he seems to be able to communicate just fine through facial expressions and through Naila, it is concerning since he is four years old already and should have been babbling for years. Maybe it's just the environment they are in, the tribes. They often speak through the understanding of the earth, and not with physical voices.

One day a quake hits, and Claire and Shep have to be evacuated. Many people are killed, and lots of houses are destroyed. Not only are they are all dealing with the aftermath of this quake, there are rumors of the war nearing. The Japanese are rumored to be nearing this area for the ports. 

They decide they need to leave, so they pack up and Shep gets them passage on a ship. They have to go quick, there is no time to really think things through. The morning of, Shep goes to get everything on the ship, and Claire is frantic. Ty is missing. She can't find him, and heads to the ship to let Shep know. He forces Claire onto the ship, and he stays behind to find their son. How could he do this to her? Forcing a mother to leave the place her son is missing in?

It was a simple misunderstanding - Ty was just with Naila in this secret place she wanted to show him and they fell asleep. With finding that the Japanese has invaded and taken over the island, Shep does what he can to keep Ty and Naila safe. She after all is the one who understands and knows Ty's every need. Sadly, more than it seem this own parents do. Claire is devastated and cannot sit around knowing that all access has been cut off and she has no idea what has happened to her family. 

Will Naila do everything to keep Ty safe with the help of Leyo? Shep after all did tell her she has to be his mother and father to keep him safe, and that is what she will do. Still a child herself, she has to make unimaginable decisions and hope that they will be afforded protection during this war. Is Claire's decisions, a suicide mission? But how far does a mother go to save her child? Did Shep make the right decision by putting Ty in Nalia's protection or is this why he is missing, really missing this time? 

Thank you to the author, and historical fiction virtual book tours for the free book to read and review. I had no idea about the Japanese invading these islands during the war. It was a very interesting, different read. 

[Nita · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's been a long time since I stayed up (nearly) all night to finish a book, but Aimee Liu's Glorious Boy casts that kind of spell. This work of historical fiction set in WWII on the Andaman Islands is brutal, but lovely, and so well written. The imagery, the characters, and the story all mesmerized me. I just couldn't put it down. I can't imagine how much research went into it. She got every detail right. And the way she treats the characters, even the horrible ones, with such tenderness, made me weep. Even if historical fiction isn't your thing, this book will entrance you. It's destined to become a classic.

[Amy Bruno]

Coming soon to a HFVBT Blog Tour soon :)

[Zoe L.]

This is one of those books that is going to stick with you for a while. After reading it, you’ll find yourself repeatedly and randomly thinking about it. It’s one of those hauntingly realistic books that forces you to think about what you would do if you were in the same position as the characters. Add in that is covers a part of history that isn’t often at the forefront of any story and you have an utterly alluring tale.

The characters in this book will sweep you off of your feet. They’re all so different yet they’re all written with such attention to detail. And given the high stakes atmosphere of this story it is so interesting to see the lengths and measures that these characters go in protecting not only Ty, but each other. For to protect Ty they all must make it out alive. It is interesting to see what a father, a mother, and a young girl with a strange affinity to understand Ty will do in order to protect him and make it out of this dangerous area.

I really loved the setting and prose of this book. They were blended so well together that it made the whole story seem lyrical in a way. This is a story of survival, war, and family. It chronicles the emotions and motivations behind individuals and adds in a historical depth.

You can view my full review on my blog! I also post about a lot of different types of books!

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[Kristen Millares · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this meticulously researched and constructed novel, Liu plums the relationship between emotional resilience and attachment, especially in the context of violent family separation. Her protagonist is a thoughtful and self-aware anthropologist who confronts the worst: being torn from her child by war. The book unfolds with expert pacing as this resourceful, resolute mother embroils herself in international espionage to make her way back to her boy. As the characters in Glorious Boy wend their way into and out of intimate, interconnected narratives set against the sweep of wartime history, Liu shows how the human spirit survives the brutal, primal loss of the ones we need and love the most.

[Jill · Rating 2 out of 5]

I am not sure what I missed - Glorious Boy would have been a DNF for me if it wasn’t for the high rating (4.58 while I was reading) that propelled me on. The story was disjointed, the perspective changes awkward, the characters not especially likable, and I struggled to keep track of names and events (which has not ever been an issue for me).

[Alexandra · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read as part of the Puke Ariki book club

[Kate Z · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another book where I'm wishing for partial stars. This one would have been more like a 4+, maybe not a 4.5 but overall it trended upward so I thought the full 5 stars better approximated my appreciation for the book than just 4 stars.

I thought, perhaps, I never needed to read another WW2 book again in my lifetime. I have studiously avoided WW2 books, in fact, feeling that I've basically sated all aspects and there weren't many other perspectives on the war that I *needed*. Glorious Boy is sort of an The English Patient type war story: it's a story of war but also a character story with war as both background and foreground.

This book is also kind of a mix of Euphoria and State of Wonder with some The Poisonwood Bible and even Heart of Darkness mixed in. In some ways it's a cautionary tale of British Colonialism, in other ways it's the story of a mother - an anthropologist of sorts - who comes of age, in a way, as a mother, anthropologist and product of war.

There are several "main characters" and Liu weaves them all in without resorting to the now conventional trope of alternating chapters. Structurally I really appreciated that as a reader. Liu tells the story almost as a documentarian would; she weaves in the main plot with frequent delves into the heart, mind and up-close experience of the main characters.

The story centers on "Mem" (Claire) and "Shep" (Doctor Saab), a married couple stationed in the Andaman Islands (I had never heard of them) during WW2. A baby,Ty, is born to the couple. Mem and Shep love their son but they also have adult lives that pull them. Shep is the doctor on the island but also deeply interested in botanicals, orchids in particular, and he devotes whatever time he can to that pursuit. Claire, a new bride, also has her own passion and deep need to escape from the guilt of her childhood where her brother died and which she spent assuaging that guilt. She's an anthropologist by training in a time when there really aren't other roles for women and when she arrives in the Andamans it's an opportunity for her to learn about an almost otherwise unknown culture: the Biya. There are other tribes on the island which is mainly a penal colony and Claire is both fascinated by the mixture of culture and world that she finds in the Andamans.

The couple, given their post, have servants who become a kind of family for them including a daughter, Naila, who is a few years older than their son Ty. Naila and Ty develop a strong bond and Naila becomes the only person who can really communicate with Ty who doesn't speak and is prone to tantrums. The war is in the background until late 1941 when the Japanese enter and then attack the island.

All of the British are evacuated by Ty and Naila go missing in the confusion and Shep drugs Claire to get her onto the boat to safety and stays on the island to find his son. Once Ty and Naila are found Shep has to figure out how to keep them safe on an occupied island and Claire is now in Calcutta and doesn't know if her family is dead or alive.

The rest of the novel is the story of Shep (and Naila) trying to keep Ty safe and Claire's efforts to get back to her family. The storytelling is kaleidoscopic as it whirls between Calcutta, Port Blair (the English colony on the island) and the island's deep jungle interior. This is the story of war, of family, of survival, of love and ultimately, of hope and humanity. It's not a "page turner" but this is a rich book and worth reading.

[Bill Cushing · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aimee Liu’s Glorious Boy opens in 1942 but begins in 1936 New York when Claire, aspiring anthropologist, meets Shep, a young British doctor being punished by exile.
They soon marry and depart to his duty station, Port Blair on the Andaman Island in the Bay of Bengal. The island serves as a penal colony for political prisoners. Once there, they hire eight-year-old Nalia to care for their mute son, Ty, the “glorious boy” of the title. Nalia possesses “an uncanny ability to intuit whatever Ty wanted or needed—as if the children had their own spiritual language.”
As British hold over the island falters, they hear more of Japan’s rallying cry of “Asia for Asians.” When Rangoon, a neighboring Burmese city, falls, civilians are ordered out of Port Blair with a single standing order: “No local borns or natives.” Because of the connection between Nalia and young Ty, Claire promises to find a means of getting Nalia off-island as soon as she can.
During the departure, however, an earthquake separates Claire from the rest of her family along with Nalia. Not long after, the island falls to the Japanese army as Nalia hides Ty among the tribes Claire began studying.
Claire dedicates herself to retrieving her son. Meanwhile Ty becomes more a creature of the jungle than a child of the empire, seeming to straddle the “primitive” and “civilized.”
Glorious Boy documents the wakening of Claire as nations dive into World War II. She learns “that ambition is worthless unless it’s rooted in human understanding” and is astute enough to understand that “prosperity” is often aligned with, almost synonymous with “slavery,” that those who are politically powerful and connected find deference to their desires, and that “colonial rules [prove to be] a tyranny of injustice, not to mention ineptitude”

[Margo Littell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bound by ambition and a sense of adventure, Claire and Shep Durant journey to the Andaman Islands, a remote part of colonial India, in 1936. They dive deep into their work: Claire, an anthropologist, is studying the language and customs of the Biya tribe; Shep, a surgeon, is collecting orchid specimens, hoping for significant medicinal applications. Claire’s plans change when she becomes pregnant and gives birth to Ty, whose ability to speak never materializes and whose bond to Claire and Shep seems weaker than his attachment to Naila, a household employee. When the war escalates, the Andamans become a target, and the Durants prepare to evacuate--but Ty goes missing. Against her will, Claire goes on without her son and husband. The search for Ty is fraught with more danger than Shep could have ever imagined, and Claire must figure out how she can help from her new post in Calcutta. As the war churns on and hope dwindles, the entire family--biological and otherwise--will be forced to question their allegiances and obligations, and to determine what place is, for them, truly home.

With a mesmerizing setting and transporting detail, Glorious Boy balances tropical beauty with raw, physical risk, and dives deep into grim truths about parental love and the power and limitation of language. This is a page-turner, sometimes violent but always revelatory. Readers won’t easily forget the trials this young couple faces, or the landscape that changes them all.

***Review originally written for the City Book Review. I received a free ARC of this novel in exchange for an honest review.***

[Norm Howard]

A stunner. If you like international historical fiction.,this is the book for you. Liu brings an impressive amount of research and plot to the contrasting indigenous and colonial cultures and historical detail to a place little known in the West, the Andaman Islands archipelago off the coast of India and Burma. The novel portrays a place inhabited by indigenous tribes for possibly 60,000 years , in serious decline with the arrival of British colonialism, and ravaged by the Japanese World II occupation. And even in more recent times, battered by earthquakes and tsunamis and the ever present intrusion of modernity. A Britsh-American couple, Shep and Claire; their gifted but difficult child, Ty; their indigenous adopted daughter Naila, a host of other indigenous characters, and some arrogant colonial types form the core characters, opening with a chaotic and disastrous evacuation in the face of an impending Japanese invasion.There are no Hollywood endings for some of the characters , given an unforgiving natural environment and the darkest days of World war II, which gives the novel an imprint of true authenticity.

[Susan Gaines · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fascinating novel about language and communication, and the legacies of British and Japanese imperialism in Southeast Asia, all wrapped up in a heartbreaking story about a mother who can’t connect with her baby and begins to doubt his--and her own--love. Fully realized characters invite empathy across a full spectrum of the South Asian cultural melange, and the plot has us flipping pages--even when we want to slow down to absorb the historical context and the reflections on language and science. Kept me engrossed for the entire 10 hours of a nerve-rackingly overbooked, late-pandemic flight home to Germany!

[Megan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A perfectly remarkable book. An intricately woven story. Beautiful language. Characters that I’d like to know in real life. All set in a time and place richly described. This amazing book is set in the throes of WWII, but it’s certainly not the same old story. On the top of the list of this years reading.

[Greg Comer]

Disclosure: Aimee Liu is my friend and mentor.
In spite of my obvious bias, believe me when I say that Glorious Boy is a fantastic read.

[John Schmidtke · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just finished reading Aimee Liu’s elegantly written "Glorious Boy," a novel set in the Andaman Islands south of Burma in the Bay of Bengal at the start of World War II.

Besides the wonderful story of a mother’s search for her son who was left behind in the chaos of the evacuations before the Japanese captured the island, Aimee’s lovely words and the incredible research she must have done—historical, anthropological, botanical, linguistical, and developmental—floored me. Her work reminded me of Patrick O'Brien's ability to effortlessly thread complex factual details into a rich fictional narrative.

Earlier this year I read "Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle," a nonfiction book by Daniel Everett, a linguist whose life was changed by his time living with the Pirahã, a tribe in central Brazil. Aimee’s fictional account of her main character, an anthropologist learning the unique culture and language of an isolated people, mimicked Everett’s real-life experience.

Aimee’s words transport you in time and place. When her main character falls on her first trip into the Andaman jungle, you feel the sweat soaking your shirt, you smell the decaying vegetation on the forest floor, you hear the swarms of insects, and you experience the shock of being helped up by strangers you didn’t know had been close by, secretly watching.

In a moving scene set in the Aberdeen Bazar in Port Blair, Aimee puts you in the mind of the main character’s husband as soldiers pummel him. You experience every punch, every kick, and every emotion. The effect reminded me of reading "An Occurrence at Owl Creek Bridge" by Ambrose Bierce.

Aimee’s literary fiction is entertaining, educational, and inspirational. Read "Glorious Boy."

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to the publishing house for providing a review copy of this novel. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Looking for a historical fiction book to sink your teeth into? You will definitely want to add this incredibly well-researched novel to your stack.

This story takes place just prior to World War II, in the Andaman Islands (in the Bay of Bengal). Claire is an aspiring anthropologist and her husband, Shep, is a physician and they decide to head to the Andaman Islands for their work.

They arrive in archipelago in 1937, where Claire documents and studies the Andamans' indigenous tribe and Shep practices as a surgeon.

Shortly upon arriving, Claire becomes pregnant and ends up giving birth to her son, Ty. Ty doesn't meet the typical milestones and is unable to communicate with her. Luckily, he finds a special friend on the island who he finds a deep friendship with.

Unfortunately, the approach of Japanese forces means that they must evacuate the island and their world is dramatically changed. Tragic consequences begin to unfold and beg us to examine these ramifications of the separation of this family.

This story is absolutely fascinating and grapples with such big issues that will keep you flipping the pages until way past your bedtime.  

If you are looking for a pandemic escape into a different world, you will find it tucked in this phenomenally told story.
4 out of 5 Stars
If you like Glorious Boy you might like these titles:
Lucky Boy

Green Island

Shtum

HEAD to MomAdvice for ALL my book reviews and feel free to join our FREE Book Club for some virtual reading fun!

[Dora Pongrac · Rating 1 out of 5]

Pročitala sam samo da imam moralno pravo napisati osvrt. Ovako zamišljam spisateljičin odgovor na pitanje 'recite nam o knjizi':
Ja sam pametna. Jako pametna. Imala sam pet iz povijesti i botanike. Znam i neke teške riječi. Odlučila sam ih sve nabacati na papir, da dokažem kako sam pametna. Bez nekog reda i smisla. Pa sam ubacila i neka imena, jer je onda to roman i dobit ću nofce. A kad je već roman, bit ću kao duhovita, a ustvari ću se samo preseravat kako znam izraz nekog plemena za kornjačinu guzicu. Nagovorila sam frendice koje ne čitaju da mi daju petice, pa da imam dobar prosijek ocjena.

[David Stewart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This story unwinds in a fascinating setting, the Andaman Islands off of India in the Bay of Bengal, at a fascinating time (when the Japanese occupied those Islands from the British during World War II). It was a prison camp for Indian independence activists when the British controlled it, so the population included local indigenous tribes, Indian nationalists, Japanese soldiers, and a few stray British holdovers. Parts of the story were less than compelling to me; a central figure is a mother whose behavior is not all that explicable. And occasionally the storytelling is less than clear. But the final adventure is remarkable and the setting unforgettable.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars. It took me little long to read due to reading another book simultaneously. This ended up being a really good story. I was a little frustrated at the beginning it was a little slow but it really picked up and is also based on historical events. Looking forward to discussing this at book discussion.

[Lindsay · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me by a friend and I’m thankful that she did. This book has a little of everything I’m looking for in a book. It was also a nice escape from the type of books that I had been reading prior to it. The author writes beautifully with amazing attention to detail.

[Maven · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Sometimes you start reading a book for one reason and finish reading it for an entirely different reason. This is one of those books. Revealing a little known part of history the author does a good job of revealing the characters layer by layer, however it was kind of slow and disjointed in doing so. There were a lot of themes left unexplored or half finished. Overall, I don’t know who I would recommend this book to but if you like WW2 fiction add it to your TBR, but don’t worry if you never get to it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

A WWII book that feels different than all the others I've read of late. Set primarily in the Andaman Islands in the Bay of Bengal, it is a book about a place that is caught between colonial British rule and Japanese conquest, the proverbial "rock and a hard place". In a personal level, it wrestles with the theme of how we sometimes don't know the good we have until we lose it. On both the historical and the personal, there is a deft weaving. A book that serves as both an escape and a challenge.

[Becki · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sometimes history doesn’t have happy endings. The same goes for historical fiction. While happy endings are usually preferred, this book offered a real feeling story with beautiful closure, even when it wasn’t happy.

Shep Durant and Claire get married because they met as Shep was planning his research trip to India’s Andaman Islands, and Claire wanted to be an ethnographer and researcher too. After their brief courtship in the U.S., everything we know about them is in the primitive islands. While it didn’t appear to be planned, they’re also soon caring for their infant, far from the civilization they’re used to. Ty Babu, their baby, doesn’t know of anything besides their home in Port Blair, and his ayah Naila. Naila is a bit young to care for the baby by U.S. standards, but her parents are the Durant’s house servants, and she and Ty Babu develop a strong bond very quickly.

While the book starts with the Durant family and their servants all happily under the same roof, before long they’re each trying to make their way alone. War changing everything on their island, and they end up going in separate directions to survive. The characters each evolve in their attempts to make it alone, while they still try to get back to each other against all odds.

The prose and descriptions of the island and its people were beautiful. The Andaman Islands of India sound truly magnificent, and finding out how the natives lived deep in the jungle was fascinating. Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it to anyone who enjoys historical fiction.

https://booksithinkyoushouldread.blog...

[Ann · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you love historical fiction spotlighting little-known corners of the world and little-mentioned notes in history, if you love epic adventure, strong female lead characters, and the many facets of language, this needs to be on your To Be Read list.

[Liza Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Aimee Liu's Glorious Boy is well-researched and beautifully told. WIth fabulous settings and historical details, I was swept into this story of love and loss. I listened to the audiobook and it was well narrated.

[Marilyn Pemberton · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fantastic book that tells of a heart-rending time for a white family living and working on the Andaman Islands during the second world war. Highly recommended.

[JoAnne Tompkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

In Glorious Boy, Aimee Liu creates a multitude of lush and riveting worlds, from the quiet universe of a child’s hidden grotto to the violence of nations at war. With beautiful prose and deep understanding, she allows us to feel the hearts of characters vastly different in age, nationality, culture and race. Wise and compassionate, at its deepest level Glorious Boy explores violence and innocence, faithfulness and betrayal, the power of love to survive the most daunting of circumstances. We discover in these pages, heart connections more powerful than any words. By enveloping the reader in an historical place and time of great disruption, Aimee Liu allows us to not only lose ourselves in the wondrous and little-known Andaman Islands during World War II but to understand with more clarity our own time, our own shared humanity. Glorious Boy is a gift.