For Freedom

by Joy Chambers

Joy Chambers forthcoming historical novel is an epic and dramatic story set in the Phillipines during the Second World War.It is a tangled story of two couples in love and war. In Hong Kong, before her marriage to John Drayton, Lexine has a night of passion with an American officer, which results in the birth of a baby boy. Letting her husband believe their son is his child, they him bring up together until the war interrupts their lives.Leaving home on a boat in a desperate attempt to escape the Japanese, Lexine and her family are shipwrecked. Believing she is the only survivor, she is distraught about the loss of her family. She sets up home in the Philipines and agrees to look after two orphaned children. Desperately trying to flee from the Japanese, she encounters the American officer once again and her past comes back to haunt her. Lexine's best friend, Kathleen also survives the shipwreck and is taken in by a vicious and cruel Japanese general. Even though she is a vulnerable prisoner of war, he strangely never leases his violence on her. The mysterious tangles between the characters is played out in dramatic and momentous style, resulting in a powerful conclusion.

592 pages, Paperback

First published November 27, 2006

About the author

Joy Chambers was an author, company chairman and a business woman, born in 1947. In 1990 she began writing; this could have been called her fifth career, for until that time she had combined actor and television panelist with that of business partner and wife of media mogul, Reg Grundy. A lover of history and never idle, Joy wrote Fact-Based Fiction.

She began her television career in Australia and won Logie Awards for her performances in the 1970s; (think Emmys and Baftas) appearing in numerous Australian productions including the international hit Neighbours in which she played the role of Rosemary Daniels. At its height Neighbours was seen in 76 countries.

In the early years of her career Joy wrote for numerous Grundy shows and worked as a production assistant on others, taking her place beside the man who was to become her husband, Dr. Reg Grundy AC OBE, and playing an important part in those years of expansion of the Grundy Worldwide phenomenon. In 1985 she was elected to the board of Grundy Worldwide, at that time the largest independent television production and distribution company in the world with local production companies in over 20 countries on 5 continents.

In 1995 Joy Chambers and Reg Grundy created RG Capital, a private group of entities with principal interests in media, the entertainment sector and advertising. Chambers was chairman of RG Capital Holdings Ltd. Joy still held close links with her home-town of Ipswich Queensland being the Patron of the Ipswich Poetry Feast as well as Ipswich's Honorary International Ambassador.

Joy’s decision to write came after years of reading the classics. An amateur historian and with a family background in history - her brother, a PhD has written numerous histories – it was natural for Joy to write historical fact-based fiction.

Joy relished the research she did on her books and says: 'My life is in the entertainment business. A skilfully written book can be read on many levels but it should always entertain… I attempt to do that.'
Joy & Reg lived in Bermuda with their Shetland sheep-dogs....

Reviews

[Kat Ashworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

Exceptional novel. Joy Chambers weaves together complex characters with the hard facts and reality of World War 2 in the South Pacific. As the story propelled onwards, so to did the deepening psyche of each character, the horror of a losing battle, and the sheer ingenuity and determination men and women conjure when pushed to the edge. A book that is difficult to put down. Left wanting a sequel which further unfolds these intense characters in post war landscape.

[Sandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this book from a charity store because I had read "None but the brave" many years ago, and always kept it near as I like it so much. "For Freedom" is another book in the same vein, and it also captured my imagination. A few things didn't quite jell, but that could be age and experience talking! A great read.

[Joanna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another great read by Joy Chambers.Long but it is worth it.World war II in Philippines occupied by Japanese.There is a love story in it.The book is really very interesting and have excellent story.I truly enjoyed reading it.I will definitely read more books by this author.

[Edna Harvey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really enjoyed this book. I thought it well written and the author has obviously done a lot of research. I look forward to reading more of her books.