A harrowing but delicate 5-star historical fiction set during WW2, you must read The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by Hazel Gaynor.

The plot:

China, 1941. With Japan’s declaration of war on the Allies, Elspeth Kent’s future changes forever. When soldiers take control of the missionary school where she teaches, comfortable security is replaced by rationing, uncertainty and fear.

Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School. Now they are the enemy, and, separated indefinitely from anxious parents, the children must turn to their teachers – to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – for help.

But worse is yet to come when the pupils and teachers are sent to a distant internment camp. Unimaginable hardship, impossible choices and danger lay ahead.

I’m in complete awe of this author’s writing

I haven’t read anything else by this author but it is of no surprise that she has won/been shortlisted for so many awards. I’ve already added a couple of other books to my list, because this author’s imagery and the way she pulls you in to the story is incredible.

In The Bird in the Bamboo Cage, chapters are split between Elspeth and Nancy, and you can really tell the difference between the tone of writing. I’m not usually a fan of this formatting, but because of how clear it is, it really adds a thought-provoking comparison to how a young girl and woman as a mother figure, are dealing with this awful war, as well as how they both lean on each other and can’t fully express how much they both need each other.

All the books I read around WW2 are often based in the eastern world, so it was great to get something from the west, especially as it wasn’t around fighting, but more about the Japanese Imperial, which I didn’t know much about – I hadn’t even heard of what happened in Nanjing, which is truly heartbreaking.

Although there is much grief and despair, and horrific moments for all the characters involved (I cried, a lot), the biggest takeaway for me is the sense of community with the Guide Scouts – being torn away from your family who are in another country, but finding another family, and how they overcome things together. Simply things, like drawing pictures to put on walls, all played a part into the emotive story.

Not one page is wasted on pointless text, and all the characters played a major part in the overall story – the interactions with friends and enemies, during each section of the book (sections determined by years) made for a quick read, and the characters just jump out at you.

There’s also an author’s note, which I won’t tell you anything about as it ties the book together brilliantly and offers further reading on the true events elements.

I’m in complete awe of this author’s writing – it’s spectacular. Whilst this book broke my heart into hundreds of pieces (which have settled themselves nicely in this book with the characters), it’s a book you want to hug at the end. There are so many similes and metaphors which stick with you once you’ve put the book down; absolutely delightful writing.

A 5-star historical fiction – it taught me a lot and made me treasure what a family can mean and the sense of community. It’s harrowing but delicate (except for one or two moments, violence is often discrete), offering a different WW2 fictionalized experience, as well as the nostalgia around Guides/Brownies.

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage, Hazel Gaynor, RRP £12.99 (hardback); Book Depository 

Pages: 384

Publisher: Harper Collins

Genre: Historical Fiction