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Shame and the Captives

By Tom Keneally
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Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
In Shame and the Captives by Tom Keneally, the narrative unfolds around a World War II prisoner-of-war camp in New South Wales, Australia. The book explores cultural tensions and personal struggles as Japanese prisoners and their captors navigate life in close quarters. The characters grapple with themes of identity and honour, leading to a gripping climax that tests the boundaries of human resilience and understanding.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

If you are intrigued by stories of human resilience and complex moral dilemmas during wartime, this novel set in an Australian prisoner of war camp during WWII might captivate you. With its vivid portrayal of both captives and captors, the book offers a thoughtful exploration of cultural tensions and personal struggles, making it perfect for readers who appreciate richly detailed historical fiction.

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Will keeping the Japanese, Korean and Italian POWs of the Second World War alive in Australia keep Australian POWs alive and well wherever they are?

In the spirit of The Daughters of Mars, Tom Keneally's new novel brilliantly explores the intimacies of ordinary lives being played out against momentous world events. In Gawell, New South Wales, a prisoner-of-war camp to house European, Korean and Japanese captives is built close to a farming community.

Alice is a young woman living a dull life with her father-in-law on his farm while her new husband first fights, then is taken prisoner, in Greece. When Giancarlo, an Italian POW and anarchist from Gawell's camp, is assigned to work on their farm, Alice’s view of the world and her self-knowledge are dramatically expanded.

But what most challenges Alice and the town is the foreignness of the Japanese compound and its culture, entirely perplexing to the inmates' captors. Driven by a desperate need to validate the funerals already held for them in Japan, the prisoners vote to take part in an outbreak, and the bloodshed and chaos this precipitates shatter the certainties and safeties of all who inhabit the region.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Shame and the Captives by Tom Keneally is generally well-received, praised for its insightful exploration of cultural clashes and the moral ambiguities of war. Critics highlight the compelling portrayal of human emotions and the nuanced character development throughout the narrative. Some reviews also commend Keneally's skill in weaving historical events into a gripping fictional account.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780857981004

Publisher: Random House Australia

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 03 November 2014

Country: Australia

Imprint: Vintage (Australia)

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 25.0mm

Width: 131.0mm

Height: 201.0mm

Weight: 326g

Pages: 400

Collections

Fiction General Fiction Literary Fiction Penguin Books Tom Keneally

About the Author

Thomas Keneally won the Booker Prize in 1982 with Schindler's Ark, later made into the Academy Award-winning film Schindler's List by Steven Spielberg. His non-fiction, includes the memoir Searching for Schindler and Three Famines, an LA Times Book of the Year, and the histories The Commonwealth of Thieves, The Great Shame and American Scoundrel. His fiction, includes Shame and the Captives, The Daughters of Mars, The Widow and Her Hero, An Angel in Australia and Bettany's Book. His novels The Chant of Jimmie Blacksmith, Gossip from the Forest, and Confederates were all shortlisted for the Booker Prize, while Bring Larks and Heroes and Three Cheers for the Paraclete won the Miles Franklin Award. The People's Train was longlisted for the Miles Franklin Award and shortlisted for the Commonwealth Writers Prize, South East Asia division.

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