Lost in Tibet: The Untold Story of Five American Airmen, a Doomed Plane, and the Will to Survive by Richard Stark

From the Publisher:                                                          

Caught in a violent storm and blown far off their intended course, five American airmen--flying the dangerous Himalayan supply route known as The Hump - were forced to bail out seconds before their plane ran out of fuel. To their astonishment, they found they had landed in the heart of Tibet. There they had to confront what, to them, seemed a bizarre - even alien - people. At the same time, they had to extricate themselves from the political turmoil that even then was raging around Tibet's right to be independent from China. Lost in Tibet is an extraordinary story of high adventure that sheds light on the remarkable Tibetan people, just at the moment when they were coming to terms with a hostile outside world.

I read this book as part of my Summer Reading Program; it fit one of the categories, it was relatively short at 210 pages, and it was set in a country that fascinated me.  What’s not to like?  It would open another of those little windows onto one of the endless number of individual stories that are always out there hanging around the edges of history.  This is a World War II tale, but not about the usual big battles with well-known names, or about concentration camps or massive bombing.  Instead, it is connected to one of the theaters of the war that we seldom think of—China. 

China was caught up in World War II before it even actually started, when Japan invaded Manchuria in 1931.  So when WWII erupted, China was already in the thick of it and naturally fell in line with the goals of the Allies.  America stationed troops in China.  To keep them and our Chinese allies supplied with food, medicine and ammunition, we sent our pilots and crews on delivery missions from India, flying  over the Himalayas into China.  Although one seldom hears of these soldiers, many lost their lives flying this dangerous route, plagued by dangerous weather and the psychological trauma of following a route littered with the debris of previous crashes.

 

This book is about five of these young airmen, whose own plane was blown off course and crashed into the side of a mountain in Tibet.  We follow them in the aftermath of their crash in the middle of wilderness, through their experiences with the Tibetans and Chinese, and finally their long trek to the border of India, barely surviving this part of their journey as well.  Throughout, we see how they are used as pawns in the struggle between Tibet and China over Tibet’s independence, which, of course, Tibet ultimately lost.

A fascinating book about a part of the war seldom covered and the politics of the time.  A brief section at the end tells what happened to each of the young men afterward.  Well worth reading!

The Galesburg Public Library has this title at 951.504 STA.

The Jane Austen Society by Natalie Jenner

From the publisher: Just after the Second World War, in the small English village of Chawton, an unusual but like-minded group of people band together to attempt something remarkable. One hundred and fifty years ago, Chawton was the final home of Jane Austen. Now it's home to a few distant relatives and their diminishing estate. With the last bit of Austen's legacy threatened, a group of disparate individuals come together to preserve Jane Austen's home and legacy. These people could not be more different and yet they are united in their love for the works and words of Austen. As each of them endures their own quiet struggle with loss and trauma, some from the recent war, others from more distant tragedies, they rally together to create the Jane Austen Society.

I am a huge fan of Jane Austen so of course the premise of this novel appealed to me. Although there is a real Jane Austen Society this book does not tell its story. Author Jenner uses the formation of the Society as a device to introduce us to an eclectic group of characters of her own making. The author uses real places and things connected to Austen, but the people and the events in her novel are entirely fictional. Each has inner challenges, and each brings unique gifts to the Society.

The book had a slow and rocky start for me, but once I got to know the characters I became interested in their stories. Through their shared love of Jane Austen, they find strength and love (not all romantic) and a place in their small village. Despite the setting and time period, Jenner even manages to include a same sex couple in the small circle of friends. This is a debut novel, and I stumbled over a few odd sentences and passages, especially near the beginning. On the whole, however, it is a very assured debut.

I did find it odd that the Society members divide into two camps – Team Lizzie and Team Emma. What about Elinor and Anne? Humph. But there’s a lot here to touch any true Janeite. Recommended for lovers of historical fiction set in post-WWII England as well.

I read an advance reader copy of The Jane Austen Society. It will be published in May 2020 and will be available at the Galesburg Public Library.

When the Emperor Was Divine by Julie Otsuka

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it." - George Santayana

From the publisher: On a sunny day in Berkeley, California, in 1942, a woman sees a sign in a post office window, returns home, and matter-of-factly begins to pack her family's possessions. Like thousands of other Japanese Americans they have been reclassified, virtually overnight, as enemy aliens and are to be uprooted from their home and sent to a dusty internment camp in the Utah desert. 

When the Emperor Was Divine is the Galesburg Public Library's 2019 NEA Big Read title. It's a short book about a family torn apart by fear and prejudice in the United States during World War II. In spare, lyrical prose the author recounts what it was like for one Japanese family to be forced to dispose of their pets, leave their home, and travel to a crowded camp in another state.

Pick up a free copy of the book at the FREE Big Read Kick-Off Event on March 30 at 2:00 pm at the Orpheum Theatre, where a Japanese drumming group from Chicago will introduce us to taiko drums and drumming. Remaining books will be available at the library after the event, while supplies last. The library has a slate of programs for all ages scheduled for April. Pick up a program brochure at the kick-off or at the library, or visit www.galesburglibrary.org or the Galesburg Public Library on Facebook.
https://galesburglibrary.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/03/2019-WTEWD-Events-Brochure.pdf

Devil-Devil by Graeme Kent

Devil-Devil is the first book in the Sister Conchita/Sergeant Kella mystery series by Graeme Kent. The books are set in the South Pacific in the Solomon Islands (the most famous of which is Guadalcanal). It’s the early 1960s, and World War II is a recent event that still affects the islands and the islanders.

My father was a Marine who fought in the Solomon Islands during World War II. He always wanted to go back for a visit, although he never did. I don’t know much about the Solomon Islands but love reading mysteries, so this series intrigued me.

Ben Kella is a sergeant in the Solomon Island Police Force. He is also the “aofia,” or spiritual peacekeeper, of the Lau people. This dual role causes much conflict with the locals and the colonial authorities. Sister Conchita is a young American nun who expected to be sent to South America (hence her choosing of Conchita as her new name) but instead finds herself at a Roman Catholic mission station in the Solomons. She is assertive and outspoken and often has to remind herself to take confession when she insists on having the last word.

The two meet in the course of an investigation and form a mutual appreciation and loose friendship. I expect that friendship grows in later books in the series. Both are interesting characters with a lot of room for development.

Graeme Kent ran an educational broadcasting service in the Solomon Islands for eight years, so I assume he is writing from his firsthand knowledge of life there. The different cultures, languages, and traditions mentioned in the book were a bit confusing but still fascinating. The mystery is not as important as the representation of the islands and the islanders. Kent shows great respect for both. I recommend Devil-Devil to readers who enjoy learning about other countries and cultures as part of the plot.

The Galesburg Public Library owns the three books that have been published in the series so far. They can be found in adult fiction under the author's last name, KENT.

Miss Dimple Disappears by Mignon Ballard

Miss Dimple Disappears, the first book in a series by Mignon F. Ballard, is a gentle and enjoyable read set in Georgia during World War II. The author does a good job of capturing the times and introducing us to a wide cast of quirky, plucky, and secretive characters. The mystery is not the point here; the relationships are.

My one complaint about this book is the jacket. There is a spoiler about something that doesn't happen until page 193 of a 262 page book! So if you like a quiet cozy mystery and want to become acquainted with Miss Dimple, I recommend you read Miss Dimple Disappears - but not the jacket.