Most excellent combination of historical research, human emotion, and rich descriptions. Excellent!

Until the outbreak of WWII, Jeremiah lived a privileged life as a British citizen in the Dutch East Indies. When Japanese invaded, Jeremiah's father was arrested and the rest of the family was sent to an internment camp. Starvation, disease, and boredom were a few of the challenges Jeremiah and his family faced in camp.

I had a bit of a trouble getting into this book. It would have been much better if it had been written in the voice of a 10 year old, instead of an 80 year old retelling his past. Unfortunately, this is a big distinction which would have made a huge difference. As a 10 year old, Jeremiah continually foreshadowed events, which I find to be a particularly annoying writing technique. Overall, a bust. ( )

Prolific author Sigmund Brouwer sets this 2014 release in the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia) during World War II.

Ten-year-old Jeremiah Prins live a luxurious life. His father is a school headmaster, his mother stays at home, and he has five siblings. He spends his days in school and playing marbles. Jeremiah is an avid marble player and wins more often than not. He has two pouches of marbles that he carries with him at all times and that are tucked neatly below his belt and beneath his shorts.

Life is idyllic. Until the Japanese invasion of the Southeast Pacific in 1942. Jeremiah and his family are sent to an internment camp, where life is brutal. His father and two older step-brothers are sent to a work camp; while the rest of family stays together.

Houses in the camp are divided so that each family gets one room. There is no privacy. There are long, long lines for food and medicine. Brouwer’s descriptions of life in these camps seems much harsher than the accounts that I have read about the American internment camps of the same period. Jeremiah does his best to stand up to his new role in the family: protector and provider. His mother has a much weaker constitution than he imagined. Luckily for Jeremiah, he has his marbles and his friend Laura, with whom he is besotted as he takes on these new responsibilities.

At one particularly harrowing adventure, Jeremiah finds a way out of the cap. He is able to do into the nearby city and trade for the medicines and foods. On one such journey, Lara is ambushed by a python. I must admit, it gave me nightmares.

What is the most interesting of this book is style in which it’s written, and it’s also the most disconcerting. As a contemporary/historical novel, the book opens with Journal 35. That doesn’t give the reader many clues, until about halfway through the novel, the reader learns that the book is being narrated from a much later period. For me, that took some of the wind out of story. Memories are often clouded and exaggerated. Toward the end of the novel, without notice, Brouwer shifts from a historical prospective to a contemporary one. The transition is confusing and awkward; it’s like I’m reading another story. I didn’t enjoy it as much as it the historical aspect of the story.

I received this book for free from Blogging for Books for this review. ( )

This a story about a young boy. He thinks his family is good. When the Japanese come and take over by putting all the mother and children in a camp. Jeremiah is the one who need to watch over his siblings and mother. His older stepbrothers and his father are hauled away to work for the Japanese. This all starts shortly after his tenth birthday. It also when he see his love for the first time at a marble game. He also meets Charles (American).

Jeremiah see what goes on and want to help Dutch out at the camp. He has his adventures. Though things start to happen with his mother. He find out the truth of what his other was doing to each of his siblings. Jeremiah does something and his little brother. Things happen and Jeremiah and Laura start a friendship of hardships and many other things. To know what all went on in Jeremiah life you will need to pick this book up to read. ( )

I have been reading a lot of historical fiction this month. Some has been so-so and some has been outstanding. Sigmund Brouwer’s Thief of Glory falls into the latter category, earning from me a very highly recommended designation. This Christy Award winning novel is my book club’s (By The Book) July selection. Have you read it? What did you think?

Most Christian fiction set during WWII takes place in the European theater. I am not sure why that is, but I was pleased that Thief of Glory takes the reader into the mostly unknown history of the Dutch East Indies and its capture by the Japanese. A bit reminiscent of Empire of The Sun, Brouwer’s novel centers on Jeremiah Prins, a tough 10-year old Dutch boy, who finds himself the caretaker of his family as they are forced into a Japanese internment camp. Most of the novel takes place during the years of captivity, although there is a contemporary story line that sheds light on the impact of Jeremiah’s time in the camp.

Brouwer’s characters are complex and flawed, real and relatable, even when the circumstances they find themselves in are nightmarish to say the least. The will to survive, the sacrifice for others and the despair that accompanies cruelty are all exemplified in the women and children forced to endure a life that is beyond understanding. Thief of Glory is a very personal story, told from Jeremiah’s POV. History, science, architecture, medicine and ecology are seamlessly woven into the narrative, giving the reader a full view of life for the Dutch caught in the midst of war. The story behind the story detailed in the Afterword is fascinating as well.

Thief of Glory is marketed as historical romance and it won a Christy for that category. There is a romance thread, but in my opinion, it is secondary to the story of bravery and daring in the midst of despair. No spoilers here, but you won’t see the end coming. This alone should generate LOTS of discussion.

A must read for WWII fans, Thief of Glory is one of the best books I have read this year.

Very Highly Recommended.

Great for Book Clubs.

Audience: adults.
(I purchased this book for my Kindle. All opinions expressed are mine alone.) ( )