Cover Image: The Bird in the Bamboo Cage

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage

Pub Date:   |   Archive Date:

Member Reviews

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Collins and Hazel Gaynor for this e-copy in return for my honest review. Beautifully written story about love blossoming in the most horrid conditions. Emotional and haunting.

Was this review helpful?

Such a beautiful story, I don't think I can compare it to anything else I have read. I love historical fiction and this did not disappoint. I would 100% recommend this book to anyone.

Was this review helpful?

The cover conveys the mood of this book wonderfully with the young and older females under the barbed wire and overlooked by a kingfisher, the significance of which you'll discover, woven into this joyful yet heart-rending story. Hazel Gaynor's latest novel takes us back in time to China, which in 1941 is in a dangerous position with war between Japan and Allied forces.

Set in a school for the offspring of Expats in China, much of the story is told by ten year old Nancy Plummer a British girl, boarding at the school whilst her parents work as missionaries in Northern China. Nancy and her friends view life from the safety of their school and girl guide troop. The youth of this narrator lends an innocence and naivety to the terrible events unfolding as Japanese soldiers seize control of the school. She has a delightful charm which had me rooting for her all the way through.

An alternative point of view is that of teacher Elspeth who is determined to uphold her promise to Nancy’s parents to look after her, despite it being increasingly difficult she and her fellow teachers devote their lives to the pupils entrusted to them

As the world descends into the mayhem of war the teachers and pupils are forced to abandon the schoolhouse and take up residence in a Japanese internment camp.

The whole story is a delightful testament to loyalty, friendship and the determination to overcome hardship which is as relevant today as it was back in the 1940s.

I won’t tell a lie, I cried at some of the events. The narrative unfolding in such a candid and wide eyed view of a young girl makes the brutality, when it happens (and it DOES happen and it IS brutal) seem all the harder to bear. Viewed through the eyes of an innocent young girl and a kind and devoted teacher, the bleakness of the internment camp combined with the hopefulness of schooldays and the increasingly important girl guide troop.

The underlying optimism and endurance made this the perfect lockdown read for me. It is beautifully researched and accurate. Captivating and heart breaking, always with a glint of better things to come, this book had me rattling through the pages, holding my breath and sighing deeply by the end.

Was this review helpful?

A little-known episode in history (at least to me...) forms the basis of a mesmerising story of the triumph of hardship, friendship and humanity. Beautifully written and intensely moving.

Was this review helpful?

Wow what a book! Is this a true story? Apparently it is as I can't believe it - those poor children! The author has really got inside their heads and those of their teachers. Be prepared to cry or weep or hold your breath. If ever you needed to see the untold story of war, how evil can affect the smallest members of society unable to protect themselves then this is it. Heartbreaking but heartbreakingly good writing to tell the story too.

Was this review helpful?

Set in 1941 this book tells the story of the Chefoo missionary school and what happens when Japanese soldiers take it over. We get to see how the students and teachers manage the invasion, the move to another dilapidated school and eventually their time spent in an interment camp. It shows us how the little things keep us going in difficult times. They manage by using the Girl Guide rules, paper flowers, meeting Olympic heroes, even a little packet of sunflower seeds!
Yet again Hazel Gaynor has given us a beautiful story and some lovely characters. You will laugh and cry and live through their experiences with them.
Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for an ARC in exchange for an honest review

Was this review helpful?

The arrival of Japanese Soldiers at Chefoo School destroys the idyllic life of the pupils and staff. The horrific effects of the schools occupation eventually leads everyone to be interned at Weihsien Civilian Assembly Centre. The following years bring even more fear, hardship and grief but we also see how the strong bonds of friendship and determined optimism can help to survive the absolute worst of times.
The emotional ending brought more than a small tear to my eye!
The Bird in a Bamboo Cage is a powerful, thought provoking and engrossing read; I read it in one day!
The story is told from two points of view, Elspeth and Nancy. I loved how it was the perspective of an adult and a child. With a whole host of brilliant characters, some lovable, some grotesque.
The story was borne out of real life accounts and it both intrigued and humbled me to know this.
Hazel Gaynor proves she is a very talented author.

Was this review helpful?

The writing in this is a little awkward and stilted so it took me a while to settle in, but I was pleased I'd persevered. The story is interesting. It's less hard-hitting than it could have been, but that made for a sweet and touching book, very gentle when it came to the horrors.

Was this review helpful?

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage by Hazel Gaynor

When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor in December 1941, Japan’s war against China is now turned against the allies. For the children at Chefoo School, a missionary school in the Shantung Province of China, the ramifications will be devastating. Nancy Plummer is ten years old and has been left at the school for safety by her anxious missionary parents whom she hasn’t seen for years. She and her close friends, nicknamed Sprout and Mouse, have become their own family, watched over by teachers who have far more responsibility for these lonely children than they might have wanted. Teacher Elspeth Kent feels that responsibility too keenly and had been ready to leave China to remake her life in England but all her plans are forgotten when Japanese soldiers occupy the school and overturn their lives, damaging them all with negligence and brutality. Internment follows and the children and their teachers must look within themselves and to each other to find the hope and courage to survive these four years of war and imprisonment.

Hazel Gaynor is a wonderful writer and I couldn’t wait to read The Bird in the Bamboo Cage. It was everything I hoped for and more. I picked it up to read and when I put it down I was over two thirds of the way through, finishing it in one more sitting. It’s completely engrossing and compelling. It is also heartbreaking, harrowing and emotional, all the more so because it is based on a true story. And what an incredible story it is.

The characters in the novel are so beautifully portrayed, with chapters narrated by young Nancy alternating with chapters narrated by the teacher Elspeth. Each has a distinct voice and each has their own perspective on events, whether in the school or the internment camp. This structure works perfectly. Elspeth, as an adult woman, has a very different time of it, with extra fears and dangers, as well as the driving need to keep those in her care safe, her brownies and guides. Nancy and her friends use guides’ codes and rules as a way of getting through this nightmare, directing their actions, thinking of others, keeping themselves as clean as possible. But, of course, that is almost impossible as they all begin to slowly starve in the squalor and dirt of the camp. It’s a harsh awakening from childhood as these girls and boys grow into teenagers without their parents.

It’s all so powerful, particularly when we learn more about the School’s Chinese servants, who also turn up at the camp. There is brutality and cruelty, throughout, but it isn’t presented graphically. Much is left to the imagination. The focus instead is on the children and their teachers. The children dwell on their friendships and are remarkably resilient. They have hope. The teachers think back on their past, especially Elspeth who must worry for her brother who is missing in action in the European War while also recalling past loves. Elspeth’s story is particularly painful but how we grow to love her, and the children, through the author’s beautiful writing! It’s not often a book makes me cry as much as this one did.

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is easily one of the best books I’ve read in a long time and it’s a contender for my favourite novel of 2020. I can’t praise it enough. It’s engrossing, thoroughly engaging, beautifully written, extremely hard to put down and full of life, colour and love, despite the terrible and desperate situation in which these wonderful characters are placed.

Was this review helpful?

What an impactful book. The quietness and poise of the writing merely adds to the powerful emotional story. A very visceral read and certainly a book I'll be recommending to the library readers

Was this review helpful?

WOW! What an incredible read! Once I started, I did not want to put it down. I loved the way it was created, the unveiling of events, the characters and the relationships and bonds formed in times of hardship. This book needs more credit and exposure for so many reasons.
Inspired by true events, this is the unforgettable story of the life-changing bonds formed between a young girl and her teacher, in a remote corner of a terrible war.
This book is a lesson in history, a statement of ill treatments, rape, heartache and fight over survival. But it is also a wonderful proof of love, friendship and motherhood.
Hazel Gaynor managed to tell a story in such a sensitive and moving way that made me see it all while reading. She transported me in a world that I refused to believe existed.

Was this review helpful?

I apologize for being late to review this new novel. I started reading several months ago but put it down very quickly because I realized I couldn't read about these sad time due to my own mental health. I picked it up again last week and no, I can't read it. I love Hazel Gaynor and her writing and there's no doubt in my mind that this a great book! I'm just sorry my fragile heart couldn't take it.

Was this review helpful?

A thought provoking haunting story about a school who were held in a prisoner of war camp by the Japanese army. This story is about their love for each other and their pain and suffering. It is really well written and memorable.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Was this review helpful?

An emotional roller coaster of a read by Hazel Gaynor.
Set in China just before the bombing of Pearl Harbour we are told the story from the view of Elspeth a teacher at the Chefoo Boarding School and Nancy a ten year old pupil.
Nancy’s parents are missionaries and Elspeth meets them on the boat on the way to the school. Nancy’s older brother Edward is there too. Elspeth makes a promise to Nancy’s mum to look out for her during their time at the school. That Christmas Nancy and her brother receive word that they won’t be able to go and stay with their parents for Christmas. Some children return home but over a hundred are left at the school.

The Japanese invade China and take over the school and both teachers and children must obey them.
Life carries on much the same until the day they are moved to an internment camp.

The teachers try to keep to school discipline to give the girls structure but what seems to keep them going more than anything is the Girl Guide’s laws and mottos.
At the beginning the girls are Brownies all desperate to fly up to Guides and then as Guides with the teachers making their badges fit the needs and settings of the camp, the girls put any energy they have into doing their best.

This brought many memories back to me which I had long forgotten. Brownie Bells, Taps, Brownie and Guide promise and the laws. And if the author reads this,I was a pixie too.
Remembering that these camps existed and people lived there for five years under such strict rules and unimaginable cruelty makes this book a must to read. It tells us so much of the human spirit and the ability of people, even young children to live with the minimal it is possible to live on and still be able to think of a future and survive.
I absolutely loved the ending and cried almost from halfway through the book.
I read many books set during WW2 , mostly set in London or France and Germany. This is the first one I’ve read set in China in an internment camp. It reminded me of the TV programme Tenko so that’s what I imagined when I read it. Although the description in the book left no doubt as what it was like. The heat,the cold, the hunger and the fear.
I also loved the part about the sunflowers and I don’t think I will ever look at sunflowers again without thinking of Elspeth, Plum, Sprout and Mouse and what it meant to them.
I’m getting emotional again !

Was this review helpful?

Hazel Gaynor has taken a unique slant on Second World War fiction with her latest novel, The Bird in the Bamboo Cage. It was inspired by true events which took place following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. As with all her books, the factual subject matter gives the story depth, authenticity and realism.

The story begins at the China Inland Mission School, Chefoo in the Shantung Province and is told from the perspectives of ten year old Nancy, a pupil at the school, and Elspeth Kent, one of the teachers. This dual outlook from the two different ages works extremely well, fleshing out the characters even more, and adding detail.

It’s December 1941. The Japanese soldiers were already occupying Chefoo but following their declaration of war against America and Britain they arrived in force to take over the school. Lives were about to change drastically for over one hundred children and twelve staff, not to mention the Chinese staff at the school.

Not too long afterwards, the staff and pupils were moved to another location in Chefoo where they tried to make the best of things. Just as they had managed to make the abandoned compound habitable and settled down to some semblance of normal life they were moved again. This time to Weihsien internment camp. They were going to need courage, and most of all each other, if they were to survive being seen as the enemy and enduring unimaginable hardships throughout the dark days of internment.

I love Hazel Gaynor’s wonderful storytelling and have enjoyed each book I’ve read. The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is no exception. It’s an evocatively poignant and compelling insight into a horrific period of history that encompasses many emotions including fear, sorrow, despair, brutality, hope and kindness. The teachers went to great lengths to put the children’s needs first and keep their spirits up as the years passed, despite their own suffering. It was incredible how they coped with the privations of being prisoners of war, and the courage and strength shown by both teachers, children and the other prisoners.

A beautifully crafted and memorable story, beginning and concluding with Nancy. Characters are well defined and realistic, it’s written with sensitivity and a deep understanding of events. Hazel Gaynor has done what she set out to do and brought a lesser known time in history to the forefront. The author’s note about the inspiration and research is well worth reading too.

Was this review helpful?

The story alternates between two first person narrators – Nancy Plummer and Elspeth Kent – providing the reader with different perspectives on the unfolding events. After all, the thoughts and feelings of a ten-year old girl are likely to be very different to that of an experienced teacher. What unites them is the value of friendship. I liked the way the friendship between Elspeth and fellow teacher, Minnie, grows, allowing them to share the past disappointments and tragedies in their lives. Similarly, Nancy’s friendship with Dorothy (‘Sprout’) and Joan (‘Mouse’) helps to ease the pain of separation from her parents.

When the teachers and children are forced to leave their beloved Chefoo School, Elspeth receives two parting gifts from their Chinese servants that will come to be a source of comfort in the years ahead. The first will help her to distance herself mentally from the traumatic experiences she will witness and endure. (It’s a theme picked up later in the book when a character observes, “Thinking is the real war, isn’t it? It’s our minds that will ultimately determine whether we win or lose; whether we survive.”) The second gift becomes not only a symbol of hope and resilience but a way to honour the memory of those who will not live to see freedom.

The reality of what in loco parentis really entails becomes clear as Elspeth, Minnie and the other teachers find themselves thrust into a role far beyond that of merely educators. As Elspeth muses, “I was here to step into the shoes of all the absent parents. I was here to watch over these temporary orphans of war.” Often, Elspeth underestimates just how important she is to the children’s mental and emotional strength. In a way, the need to look after and protect the children provides a distraction from the challenges each day brings – the unsanitary conditions, shortage of food, risk of disease and cruelty of the guards. As Elspeth remarks, “For the children I kept going.”

Routine and upholding the principles of the Girl Guides – loyalty, courage, hard work, and so on – are the strategies Elspeth and Minnie use to hold things together, distracting the children from the hardships of the internment camp. However, they cannot protect them from everything and none of the children will emerge from the experience unchanged.

As an admirer of John Buchan, I’m sure you can imagine my delight when one of his books turns up in the camp library set up by the redoubtable Mrs Trevellyan. (There’s also a mention of one of Buchan’s favourite books, The Pilgrim’s Progress, which, incidentally, is used to pass clandestine messages in his novel, Mr Standfast.) And I could only nod in agreement at Mrs T’s observation about the value of books: “This is our escape. Right here, in all these glorious words. Between these pages, we can be as free as the birds. We can go anywhere we please!”

The Bird in the Bamboo Cage brings to life the story of the children of Chefoo School in a way that immerses the reader in their experiences. I felt I was living every moment with them. Although there are things that are difficult to read about there are uplifting moments as well, including small acts of defiance and of unexpected kindness. I can only echo the words of the author when she notes in the Afterword, “No matter the time or distance from an historical event, the universal themes of love, grief, friendship, regret and resilience are what connect us all across the decades.”

Was this review helpful?

There is no two ways about it The Bird in the Bamboo Cage is quite simply the best book that Hazel Gaynor has ever written. It’s an absolute stunning read and even though the subject matter is tough, devastating and heart-breaking this book was written in such a beautiful way that it really opened my eyes to the traumas that occurred during the Japanese occupation of China and other areas in the Far East during World War Two. It’s evident right from page one that Hazel engaged in such in-depth research and study in order to write the best book possible in order to convey a human story and the many varied experiences of those captured and it’s all set against the backdrop of invasion and internment. The story is so rich in detail and the imagery and pictures created are so vivid as you delve further into the book. I felt like I was there with Nancy and Elspeth and their fellow teachers and students as their lives are torn apart and nothing but uncertainty and even death stares them in the face for an unknown length of time. Regardless of the fact of the dreadful events that unfold and the terrible experiences and emotions that the characters experience, there is determination, courage, love and resilience to be found throughout the book.

Nancy never talked about what happened when they returned from the Far East to England after the war was over. Her school years in China and her subsequent internment were not something she wished to discuss but so many years later she can still remember all the details with startling clarity and because she can the reader is taken on an incredible journey, one which is not easily forgotten. And so we are taken back in time to 1941, to where Nancy attends the Inland Mission School in China in Chefoo, as does her older brother. Her parents are both missionaries who travel around China and she has seen neither of them for several years given the Sino-Japanese War and now the fact that World War Two has broken out and is raging on in the far east ever since the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour and the Americans subsequently entered the war. Nancy is safe with her classmates and teachers and although she really wants to see her parents she knows there are always people much worse off than she is. Little does she realise just how her little world will change dramatically and she may well be one of those people who become worse off than they once were.

Even though she was more or less a child, Nancy was captured just perfectly. She wasn’t too young that she didn’t fully comprehend what was going on, yet she hadn’t quite reached those teenage/young adult years that all her innocence and naivety was lost. She was the perfect mixture between the two and was ideally placed to share the events that befall the school from a young person’s perspective. Sprout, from America, is Nancy’s best friend and Joan, otherwise known as Mouse, becomes a confidant too. As we journey with these girls I felt Nancy really came alive and her voice shone through the pages. Her belief that they would be rescued soon, that when the Japanese arrived and took over their beloved school that it would only be for a short time, well god I felt for her because she really had no clue what was about to happen and sure really when you think about it how could they have done? Would they have had the same strength, courage and willingness to keep going through the deprivation, hunger, cruelty and torture that was to occur if they had known what lay in wait for them?

Elspeth first met Nancy as she journeys to the school and she promised her mother she would always look after her and she stuck to her word through thick and thin. No matter how horrific things got she put Nancy and her students before her own needs time and time again. She really went beyond the call of duty and sure if anyone was put in that position you would do the same. But Elspeth was special, she became like a mother to a large flock, and as a staff the teachers were the only adults the children could rely on under the cruel hands of the Japanese. Had her life led her to this point to be the mother she had always hoped to be even if it was to temporary orphans? Elpseth had planned to tender her resignation and return to England but the Japanese arrived and took over the school before she could do so.

At first I thought her heart really wasn’t in it. That her head was already back in England with the one she loved and lost but she deserves nothing but admiration for how she put her own feelings aside and just kept pushing forward. What really amazed me and what I found to be remarkable was that even as things grew steadily worse and as the school is moved from their original location to an abandoned mission compound and then eventually to an internment camp called Weihsien that teaching and learning still went on no matter what the situation that existed. If that’s not dedication to one’s job I don’t know what is. But in one way it did provide some sense of normality and routine for the children at a time when danger, menace and peril lurked around every corner.

Amidst the weight of responsibility that falls on Elspeth shoulders, and the relentless pressure to be jolly and strong, there are some beautiful, under stated moments that provide hope and some lightness amongst all the fear and unease that exists. The sections set at the internment camp had some lovely heart-warming moments in them and to be honest I found these sections the most fascinating to read about. It was like a community had been set up within the camp and although the Japanese soldiers were there at every turn everyone was trying to make the best of a heinous situation. Of course there are some upsetting scenes, and one in particular springs to mind, but it’s inclusion was necessary because this did happen at the time and although I mightn’t have wanted to read about it, it did need to be there to show all sides to the story and what went on within the confines of the infamous camps.

It’s not easy to write a story with this subject matter and turn it into something uplifting and hopeful but Hazel Gaynor has succeeded in doing this. She has reminded or else brought to readers attention a time in history that should never be forgotten. For what the people endured was harrowing, agonising, painful and terrifying and The Bird in the Bamboo Cage gave me a greater appreciation for what so many endured during the war years. The book is an utter triumph, one that is beautifully crafted and certainly one of the most memorable and empowering books that I have read this year. It has the perfect blend of imagination with historical fact and each character has such a unique voice that will stay with you long past the last turn of the page. It’s definitely a book that I would highly recommend, and I hope Hazel will choose to write something set during this period in history again as she has shown such a deep empathy, understanding and knowledge of the time. It would make a brilliant TV series as Hazel has written an outstanding book.

Was this review helpful?

Based on real event, this beautifully researched story tells the tale of the Chefoo School in China, who came under Japanese occupation before its students and teachers were taken to an internment camp as enemies of the Japanese state. Elspeth Kent is a teacher who wanted to leave her post (having left England to avoid her demons) and Nancy Plummer is a 10-year-old pupil who misses her parents. Together they form a friendship that must triumph over the fear and unsettling times in which they find themselves. You’ll need lots of tissues for this – historical fiction at its best.

Was this review helpful?

A beautifully written book written during ww11 in China, I loved getting to know all the characters, I really didn't want the book to end.

Was this review helpful?

This is a beautifully written book which will stay in my thoughts for a long time.

The story of a school in China caught up in WW11 was heartbreaking and thought provoking. Told by the narratives of different ages , pupils and teachers the realities of everyday life were unimaginable but the bonds and friendships formed were breath taking..

The overall feeling of hope throughout each persons hardships made me thankful for the freedom I have in modern life.

Hazel Gaynor is the queen of historical fiction in my opinion. Her attention to detail and research is second to none and this book proves just what a fantastic writer she is .

Thank you to netgalley and the publishers for my chance to read this beautiful thought provoking book.

Was this review helpful?