UNDER THE JAVA MOON by HEATHER B. MOORE is a well researched and well written account of the experiences of Marie (Rita) Vischer during the three years she and her family lived in the Tjideng prison camp after the Netherlands East Indies surrendered to Japan in 1942. Her father, naval engineer George Vischer, ended up in the Glodok men’s camp after surviving shipwreck, starvation and five days on the open sea……
This heart wrenching story that shows the wickedness and evil there is in the world, also shows enormous courage in the face of starvation and torture and the unconditional love that exists between famiy members.
As an aside I am so glad Rita was happily married to a South African in the end, as I am proudly South African!
I highly recommend this amazing book as an interesting and inspirational read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Shadow Mountain Publishing. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

This was a fascinating tale of a historical event that I knew nothing about!
I had no idea that Indonesia was once a Dutch colony and I had no idea of all the suffering that happened there during the war.
This book was well written and definitely well researched. I loved that I got a great story while learning about history.
This was not my typical fluffy, silly read- it had a lot of heavy and sad details, but it was all done tastefully.
Once I started reading I didn’t want to put it down and after I was finished I wanted to get online and research some more- I love when a book does that to me.

I knew nothing about the Java islands or the Dutch who were interred into camps by the Japanese! I had never heard of their stories or horrific trials! Wow! The story of George and the Navy officers was just as stunning! Not going to lie, I had to read this book over several days as the content and realized brutality really took a toll as I was reading but I am so glad I finished this book! This is a must read! You will walk away for a greater appreciation for everything from your freedoms, your food, your space and your family! Wonderfully written and I feel like I gained another look into heroic men and women I never knew existed.

I was very excited to be given an advanced copy for this book!
I really liked it.
I'm big fan of historical fiction and this did not disappoint.
I had no idea what happened on Java (or where it was honestly) or three horrors that the Dutch faced.
This book told the story in a week written and engaging way.
Definitely be warned that there are very hard parts to read.
If you like historical fiction, I would definitely recommend this one to you.
I received a free copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for my honest opinion.

Living In New Zealand, I've spent time travelling in close-by Southeast Asia, and have witnessed the influences of the British, Spanish, French, Dutch and Portugese through enduring architecture and food. So it was fascinating to dig deeper into the Dutch East Indies time in the region.

WOW Heather, you seem to have a knack of discovering or attracting personal accounts of a historical fiction nature to re-tell/expand on, taking us on a historically accurate and deeply personal journey of the time.

While I had read a few southeast Asia prison camp books, they were focussed on British internees, so I took the time before reading "Under the Java Sun" to explore the history of the Dutch, who were present in Indonesia centuries before WWII.  Ultimately this ended in the chain of events that started with more than 100,000 Dutch men, women, and children interned in Japanese prison camps, then once WWII ended, the ultimate termination of Dutch influence in Indonesia, as "the locals" fought for (and gained) independence. 

"Under the Java Sun" had me rapt, following the Vischer family and their friends.   The enduring power of love within a family shines through as the family are separated ....both stories of Mary and George equally gripping. 
Surviving on the hope of being reunited, the help of friends and an attitude of submitting to the whims of the vicious Japanese.....all to reach the long-term goal of liberation.

I loved this book by Heather B. Moore, such amazing characters and storyline!

I just reviewed Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore. #UndertheJavaMoon #NetGalley
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My father flew bomber planes in WWII so this period of time is fascinating to me. I’ve read so many historical fiction books from this era, but this was the first time I’d read about the impact of war on Indonesia and the plight of the Dutch. It was heartbreaking to read of the separation of families and the hardships they faced in the prison camps, but I was grateful to learn more about this period in history and came away uplifted at the goodness, hope, and resilience of the Vischer family. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

Thank you, Heather. Thank you for highlighting a part of history that is getting neglected till now. Thank you for highlighting the impact on Indonesia. I am from India and the World War had a deep impact on India and our freedom struggle, yet no one knows about it. I am so happy to see that another country of Asia having a story of the war is being represented. Hope to see India being represented in the future.
But coming back to the book, I just want to add that the angles used in the book is incredible. The characters, the writing, the worldbuilding, all are pinpoint. All in all, this is a masterpiece.

A story of holding on to hope through hardships
Just a note that much of the book describes suffering at the hands of commanders of a prison camp, and many die from the lack of food and medical treatment. A “true” story of the struggles and triumphs of the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies as Japan invades and rules during WWII. The events in the story are taken from multiple people’s experiences and portrayed as those of the characters in the book. The Netherlands had ruled that part of Indonesia from 1800 until the beginning of the story in WWII. The women and children are kept in separate camps from the men with the women and children going through hardships and mistreatment, especially by one of the commanders of the camp (who is later tried and convicted of war crimes). The only thing that gets them though the three and a half years, is the hope that they can be together as a family, when the war ends. The men have had similar hardships but the commanders of their camp are not nearly as hard on the prisoners. Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the copy. This is my review and all thoughts are my own.

This was stunning. The plot was well-paced and captivating from start to finish. The characters were well-developed; complex, and intriguing. I highly recommend this beautiful telling of the power of love. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.