Thomas F. (hardtack) -
As I have an intense interest in the Filipino guerrilla resistance to the Japanese in World War II, I has hoping this book would be more than it turned out to be. Nevertheless, once I understood it was simply a young girl's memories of the war, interlaced with sections of her mother's diary, I began to enjoy it.
Basically, the guerrilla resistance is "outside" the author's experiences, but she provides a great narrative of what it was like to live for years hiding from the Japanese, with the fear everyone approaching their camp would be enemy soldiers.
She also relates the experiences of other civilians, and, finally, a wonderful tale of their escaping on the USS Narwhal, an extra large submarine used to convey supplies to the Filipino resistance.
I was also interested in learning her father was manager of a gold mine, which, as late as November 1941, was producing $1 million worth of gold concentrate a month. And that the 'great' General MacArthur owned shares in that mine. Providing yet another good reason why he avoided---for one critical day---taking pre-emptive action against the Japanese, hoping they wouldn't invade the Philippines. Enough said there.
Basically, the guerrilla resistance is "outside" the author's experiences, but she provides a great narrative of what it was like to live for years hiding from the Japanese, with the fear everyone approaching their camp would be enemy soldiers.
She also relates the experiences of other civilians, and, finally, a wonderful tale of their escaping on the USS Narwhal, an extra large submarine used to convey supplies to the Filipino resistance.
I was also interested in learning her father was manager of a gold mine, which, as late as November 1941, was producing $1 million worth of gold concentrate a month. And that the 'great' General MacArthur owned shares in that mine. Providing yet another good reason why he avoided---for one critical day---taking pre-emptive action against the Japanese, hoping they wouldn't invade the Philippines. Enough said there.
