When We Were Young and Brave by Hazel Gaynor is an outstanding WW!! story set in China. The Chefoo School staff continued to preserve school policies and procedures in spite of the difficulties of internment by Japan; they adapted and went on with their day-to-day activities and chores. Miss Kent, a teacher, and Nancy, a young student, are the voices for revealing their reactions and emotions to situations. Gaynor’s descriptions of all this is so vivid and poignant for the reader.
A quirky subsidiary character, Mrs. Trevellyan, is such a caring, helpful asset to camp life. Her colorfulness adds humor and reality. I particularly liked her custom of using her mother’s Wedgewood tea set to “properly” serve tea to her guests.
I highly recommend Gaynor’s portrayal of this excellent example of historical fiction.

This novel is based on actual events during WWII. At a school in China during the war, British students and teachers suddenly become the enemy of Japan and are subject to interment camp rules. As their world becomes increasingly smaller and their captors less hospitable, Elspeth and Nancy become closer. They keep up their schooling and Girl Guides even during the worst situations and that and the help of their friends get them through. An endearing story.

After the attack on Pearl Harbor, all residents of a British-run boarding school in China are sent to a Japanese internment camp. 10 year old Nancy and her older brother Edward are living at the school while their parents are doing missionary work on the other side of the country. Despite the deplorable conditions, poor treatment and lack of proper nutrition, the teachers and students are determined their lessons continue.

"Whatever weapons our enemy has, never forget that we possess the most powerful weapon of all: the ability to educate."

This WWII story was based on true events and took me on a rollercoaster of emotions ranging from heartache to hope and back again. I was inspired by teachers Elspeth, Minnie and Charlie who endured so much yet stayed strong for their students. Since I was a Girl Scout in elementary school, that element of the story provided a bright spot both for me and the students. I became attached to the characters and teared up several times near the end.

"A sunflower seed [was] a symbol of our strength and our determination to carry on. A reminder that we could thrive, even in the harshest conditions... We grow anywhere with strong roots, [so] rise from the mud, and bloom."

Location: China

I received an advance copy of this book. All opinions are my own.

I received an advanced copy of this title via NetGalley.

I was hesitant about reading this book for several reasons but mainly because it was yet another WWII book. In the end I chose to give it a try because I enjoy Hazel Gaynor. I am so glad I did! One might not initially think that there is anything that a reader in today's world could relate to between the pages of this book. The book focuses on survival and resilience. Gaynor writes about how the characters were determined to maintain the same level of normalcy that they were used to despite the impact the war had on them. Isn't that what everyone has been doing in 2020? Haven't we been struggling to "keep it together" regardless of everything that has been thrown at us? While one cannot compare COVID to interment camps, I believe that we can see how focusing on everyday tasks is a coping mechanism in many situations. Ms. Kent and the other faculty members of the Chefoo School did what they were trained to do and the children responded positively to that structure and guidance. The continuation of the Girl Guides amidst all of the chaos gave the students things to strive for and be proud of. This book reads quickly and does a great job at highlighting the Japanese internment camps in China

I have enjoyed Helen Gaynor’s books, but really loved this one. This work of historical fiction takes place in China during WWII, as the Japanese occupied China. At a school for missionary and diplomatic children, Nancy meets her best friends Sprout and Mouse. When Elsoeth Kent took on the position of teacher, she could never predict the type of care and involvement she would have as the school is first evacuated to smaller quarters, and then the group is sent to an Internment camp. Miss Kent and Nancy form what is close to a mother and daughter relationship, while Nancy also bonds with her two friends. The Japanese guards are at times brutal, with the exception of a few who try to help the group. The characters are sympathetic and lovable, and I will miss them. I highly recommend and thank NetGalley for he ARC.

WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE – by Hazel Gaynor
Based on real people in real peril, this book follows Nancy, an eight-year-old student, and Elspeth Kent, a teacher at the Chefoo (China) School from 1939-1945. When the book begins, both Nancy and Elspeth are new arrivals at the school for children of missionaries and diplomats. The students are expected to study hard and make their way to colleges like Oxford and Harvard at the completion of their school years.

When the Japanese occupy the school, life for both students and teachers abruptly changes. The book centers on how the teachers help the children cope with their very changed circumstances. Well researched and well written the story is compelling and full of incidents that portray life as “guests” of Imperial Japan from Temple Hill to Weihsein Internment Camp. Olympic medalist Eric Liddell was also interned atWeihsein and became one of the children’s teachers.

The grit and perseverance of both and adults is starkly shown without excess reliance on graphic details. Book groups will find much to discuss. Older children and their parents in a combined book group would find this book absorbing and thought provoking.
5 of 5 stars

When We Were Young and Brave


A evocative historical fiction novel of courage, resourcefulness and friendships during the most traumatic of times.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

SUMMARY

Elsbeth Kent is a teacher at the Chefoo School, a missionary school in northern China and but is anxious to return home to England. But as she prepares to turn in her resignation, a terrible twist of fate determines a different path for Elspeth, and those children in her charge.

Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer, is a British student at Chefoo School, when Japan declares war on Britain and America and takes control of the school. Separated from their parents, Nancy and her friends look to their teachers – to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – to provide a sense of unity and safety.

The school community must rely on their courage, resourcefulness, and friendships to survive the inconceivable hardships. When they are sent to Weihsien, a distant internment camp even greater danger and uncertainty await them.



REVIEW
WHEN WE WERE YOUNG AND BRAVE is a dramatic and touching chronicle of the fortitude and resilience of women and girls. The interesting story is inspired by true events and is essential reading for fans of historical fiction.

Author Hazel Gaynor skillfully transports us to China in December 1941 with her descriptive and evocative writing. The story alternates between Elsbeth and Nancy. I particularly liked the strength of Elsbeth’s character as she attempted to educate and care for the children during a most traumatic and gut-wrenching time.

My favorite part was Gaynor’s use of the Girl Guides program as a significant reason for Elsbeth and Nancy’s inspiration for survival. By following the three tenants (faith, loyalty and service) of the program, Nancy also know as Plum, and her best friends Mouse and Sprout showed their bravery and pluck. Gaynor’s epigraph for her books sums it up perfectly.

“Girls! Imagine that a battle has taken place in and around your town or village… What are you going to do? Are you going to sit down, and ring your hands and cry, or are you going to be plucky, and go out and do something to help.”
Agnes Baden Powell, Cofounder of the Girl Guides

I also appreciated the symbolism of the sunflowers seeds that Elsbeth received from Wei Huan, the Chinese school gardener, and how the seeds were used throughout the book to mark significant events.

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning New York Times, USA Today and international bestselling author. She is co-founder of creative writing events The Inspiration Project, and lives in Ireland with her husband and two children.  Previous books have included The Girls Who Came Home (2014), The Lighthouse Keeper Daughter (2018) and Meet Me in Monaco (2019).

Thanks to Netgalley for an advance reading copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publisher HarperCollins
Published October 6, 2020
Review www.bluestockingreviews.com


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Elspeth Kent and Nancy Plummer are, respectively, a teacher and a young student at a missionary school in China in 1941. When the Japanese forces take control at the school, Elspeth and Nancy must overcome the oppression of their captivity and rely on their friendships, faith, courage and strength to get through the ordeal.

This was everything that I want in a World War II novel. I loved the alternating points of view on the chapters and found Nancy's chapters particularly powerful as she grows and matures during very difficult situations. It is a beautiful story that is full of hope and courage. I thoroughly enjoyed it and will be recommending it to my book club friends and family. Highly recommend!

“Their motto was to be prepared, but nothing could prepare them for war…”

Hazel Gaynor has never disappointed me with her way of picking a lesser known story and brining it to life. Inspired by true facts, When We Were Young and Brave is a heart wrenching and amazing story of human spirit and courage. I could not get over the way I could feel the bonds and comraderies that formed between the students and teachers in this story as they endured brutality, depravity and the struggles of WWII as they were ruled over by the Japanese army.

China, December 1941. Having left an unhappy life in England for a teaching post at a missionary school in northern China, Elspeth Kent is now anxious to return home to help the war effort. But as she prepares to leave China, a terrible twist of fate determines a different path for Elspeth, and those in her charge.

Ten-year-old Nancy Plummer has always felt safe at Chefoo School, protected by her British status. But when Japan declares war on Britain and America, Japanese forces take control of the school and the security and comforts Nancy and her friends are used to are replaced by privation, uncertainty and fear. Now the enemy, and separated from their parents, the children look to their teachers – to Miss Kent and her new Girl Guide patrol especially – to provide a sense of unity and safety.

Faced with the relentless challenges of oppression, the school community must rely on their courage, faith and friendships as they pray for liberation – but worse is to come when they are sent to a distant internment camp where even greater uncertainty and danger await . . .

The story is told from two different points of view. One being from Nancy Plummer, a fun and spunky 10 year old girl determined to stay courageous and true to her friends and others. The other point of view is that of Elspeth Kent, a teacher determined to care for and help her students and Girl Scouts continue to grow in the best environment she can provide. I loved going back and forth between the mind of an adult and young girl as they both experienced their confinement during the war together.

Elspeth and Nancy aren’t the only characters that will worm their way into your heart. Several of the other teachers, support staff and students will have you feeling for them and their struggles while also smiling as they lean on each other through tragedies and as they enjoy the little joys in life that they can find.

The teachers truly went to so many great lengths to keep the children safe and their spirits up as they spent the years imprisoned and basically suffering themselves. I cannot imagine the strength and courage these teachers had to keep up in order to not break down.

Gaynor really brings the reader into the story through her amazing research and knack for details. I became completely immersed in the experiences of both the children and adults. It was as though I was living with them through their internment as prisoners of war. I actually found myself on Google looking up pictures and accounts told by others who where also prisoners of war in China during this time.

Overall, When We Were Young and Brave is a story of hope, strength and resilience. Gaynor writes with depth, sensitivity, realism and authenticity in order to create a story that is beautiful and memorable. I know this story will stay with me for some time as I continue to digest it.

As a fan of both historical fiction and Hazel Gaynor, I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of When We Were Young and Brave. I've read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but none from this perspective. I started this book knowing nothing about the Chefoo Missionary School and the 4 years they were held in a Japanese Internment camp, but by the end, I was deeply fascinated and inspired by their story.

This novel alternates perspectives between two characters: Elspeth Kent, a teacher at the school, and Nancy Plummer, a student. In the beginning, it was hard for me to feel attached to either character because they both felt a bit flat. However, as their story went on, and their circumstances grew more dire, I began to sympathize with them more and more. As a former Girl Scout, I appreciated their dedication to their Girl Guides Troop and the important role it played in the story.

The thing I loved most about this book was the way it introduced me to a new side of history. When I finished, I immediately looked up the true story and found that the author incorporated many of the actual details into her work. The story of these teachers and students living through unthinkable terror was both heartbreaking and inspiring.

Wonderful novel about the Japanese occupation in Southeast Asia during the time of Pearl Harbor. A girl's school is occupied. Beautidul prose.

I was lucky enough to receive an ARC of this book thanks to Net Galley and Book Club Girls. When We Were Young and Brave is a story, inspired by true events, about heartache, determination, overcoming hardships and most importantly responsibility and friendship told through the eyes of a teacher and a student in the 1940’s. The two main characters meet when taking a boat to the school in China for children of missionaries and diplomats. The story provides insight into the sufferings endured during the internment by the Japanese during WWII. I loved the way the author flipped back and forth allowing the reader to see the atrocities everyone had to deal with through the eyes of an adult and a 10 year old child but also the gentleness and sensitivities they provided to each other. I would highly recommend this book!

This book was absolutely amazing. The way it was written draws you in right away and keeps you reading. I learned something new reading this which is always great. One of the best books I have read this year.

This one just made me so happy! Not because of the content, but for the feelings, I loved to connect to the characters in this one. I loved the way this book was structured, the atmosphere and characters, and I shed some tears! I’ve read several others by this author and they just get better and better!

Set in China during WWII at a British missionary school (Chefoo), this one has alternating chapters from Elspeth – a teacher at the school – and Nancy at 10-year-old student. Another facet of WWII fiction that I hadn’t read about until this book. Japan has invaded China and soon Japanese soldiers have a presence at the school.

Elspeth escaped to China after tragedy dealt her a raw hand in England. She is a wonderful teacher and role model for the students at the school, but she’s grappling with her past. Elspeth and her fellow teachers try to keep structure and learning as the driving forces of the day, but it’s difficult with the troops there. With radios confiscated, they are feeling very isolated.

Nancy, like many of the students, has parents who are diplomats or missionaries, and the students have built strong bonds that are shaken with the unknowns of what will happen with the war and their school. They look to their teachers for guidance and reassurance. Nancy has wonderful friends and I loved their nicknames – Sprout and Mouse – and they grow up and face challenges during the course of the book. I loved getting Nancy’s perspective on the situation and her outlook on life.

There are some great pieces in the book with the Girl Guides and how many of the guiding principles of this club keep the girls going, earning new badges and having ceremonies, even while the school is under Japanese control.

As the war goes on, the 100 school children must move to different facilities and are ultimately sent to an internment camp. There are some decent Japanese guards and some evil ones that the Chefusians encounter. There are supply and food shortages and the constant fear under the soldiers. The teachers did a great job with being role models and substitute parents for the students amidst terrible circumstances.

This one is based on true events and read as meticulously researched. Gaynor has a way of writing that completely immersed me in this place and time. I highly recommend this one!

What a wonderfully written story about war, heartbreak and survival.
This book is inspired by the true events surrounding the Japanese Army’s take over of the Chefoo school.
Following the teachers and the students as the shoulders take over their school and move them twice to different locations this book will keep you turning the pages.
This is a book that will stick with you, the will to survive that the kids had and the teachers inspiring them to still learn and stick to their girl guides.

This story was beautifully written. I love WWII novels but you tend to read the same story just a different person. But this, this was so refreshing. Having a Japanese occupied China. To have English children and educators living and learning in China and being taken into an interment camp. All of this was so new to me. We never heard this side. You were so invested in Elspeth and Nancy. You wanted them to have happy endings. You wanted everyone to make it out. And you want people punished for making these ladies suffer. This book is highly recommended for Historical fiction lovers! Brilliant

What a marvelous book! Every character comes alive. The story is so compelling. Nice to read a different aspect of WWII. I never realized they had internment camps in China. A book that will stay with you for a while.

This historical novel is based on true events in China during World War II. Children and teachers from Britain, the United States, and Australia are forced to leave their comfortable British-run school, eventually ending up at a Japanese internment camp with primitive conditions and severe hardships. The story is told through alternating accounts by teacher Elspeth Kent and student Nancy Plummer. For six years, with no contact with their parents the students are guided through their fear and difficulties by their teachers with courage and determination to survive until they are liberated. The story illuminates the bond between them and the life-long value of friendship. This moving, heartbreaking novel is well-researched and beautifully written. This is a must-read for those who enjoy historical fiction.

Story of a British school in China that became occupied by the Japanese during WWII. The story followed the perspective of a teacher and a few students. They are first under occupation at their own school, then moved to a much worse school, and are moved to an isolated internment camp. I generally liked the story and reading about the occupation and internment through the eyes of the young girls. Some of it felt like a bit like a typical WWII/war type of story though it wasn't overly descriptive about violence which was nice. I liked how the author wrapped up all the storylines at the end. It maybe felt a bit too 'neat' but I like finding out what happens with characters in the long run.

As a lover of both historical fiction and WW2 history, I was excited about this one as it is about those in Asia instead of Europe - where most WW2 fiction is based - and is written in the viewpoints of a missionary teacher, Elspeth and a young student, Nancy. Fast paced and full of emotion, you feel for both the young students and the grown ups who are now enemies of Japan , prisoners in China.
Conditions for women and teen girls are not good, as the Japanese troops treat any women in conquered areas as 'comfort women', causing a lot of terror for both the captives and the local Chinese women.
I think it would of been a terrible thing to be trapped as they all were and the end of the war brought freedom for so many. A great read!