What a terrific book!

Interesting plot? Check.
Endearing characters? Check.
Excellent research? Check.

I love World War II books and have a read a ton of them, but I've never read one set in Indonesia, so I was super excited to read one now, particulary when I've read most of Heather B. Moore's books and know the research and details are always impeccable. That was definitely the case here; Moore brought the situations the Vischer family and others were under to life so clearly. It was so interesting to see how the Dutch in Indonesia were impacted by the war. I love the fact that this is based on a true story and that there's even an afterward from Marie (Rita) Vischer Elliott. It's an understandably somber book, as the Vischers are imprisoned in interment camps, but it also shows the resilience and kindness of so many.

4.5 stars.

I read an ARC provided by the publisher. All opinions are my own.

Under the Java Moon is quite a bit different from other WWII historical fiction books that I tend to gravitate towards. The Island of Java is locate in Indonesia, or as it was called at that time, the British West Indies. Many Dutch people lived in Indonesia as it was under the reign of the Queen in the Netherlands. When the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor it did not take them long to attack Indonesia in order to control the much needed oil reserves. Our Allies were busy fighting in Germany and unfortunately they did not attempt to stop the invasion.
This novel is based on true events and the author collaborated with the main character, Rita Vischer Elliot, in telling her story. Ita, as she was called as a child, was only five years old when she and her Dutch family and neighbors were forced into a Labor camp. It was there that they spent three and a half 3 years of starvation, cruelty and disease.
From the very first page I was totally engrossed in this story. I learned so much and felt a great deal of empathy for all of the Dutch people who suffered in this horrific environment. There is a great deal of authentic information in this book and I was pleasantly surprised to find chapter notes at the end of the book. I would recommend the reader not skip over this section as it added so much more information and clarity. The Afterword, written by Rita Vischer Elliot, is also very moving.

4.5* Heather B. Moore's research and interviews have been put together into a fascinating story told from multiple viewpoints. This powerful inside look at a geographical front during WW2 that is rarely explored was thought provoking. I loved the varying perspectives, from the Father, Mother, and little girl and their various experiences. While the things they went through were not pleasant, the narrative is not overly dark or heavy. There is perspective and hope to be had, along with lessons to be learned.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. All opinions expressed are completely my own.

It was WWII historical fiction that made me a reader. I’ve read so many books from this time period, but this one covered a group of people I’d never heard about.

Books about war make me question the humanity of people. How can anyone treat another human so badly? What must have happened to lead an individual to commit war crimes or hate crimes? Yet at the same time, during these horrific times, there is a strength of character of those suffering that leaves me in awe. It gives me a hope that surpasses the despair that comes with reading of the atrocities of war.

Java is an Indonesian island that at the time was a colony of the Dutch. During the Japanese occupation of the islands, a Dutch family is separated between prisoner camps based on gender. The humble circumstances of this family were truly awful. And then as the war ends, their suffering and uncertainty does not.

I was truly touched knowing this was a telling of an actual family’s experience. A family that sacrificed so much to survive and find a way to move on. If you love historical fiction, this is one you don’t want to miss.

I was given this book by Heather. Where do I start? Heather masterfully told Rita’s story in this horrific Indonesia Japan war. I didn’t know about this before reading “Under the Java Moon.” I was beyond disgusted with roll call and felt the mental and physical anguish dripping from the pages.

“There are no winners in a war. We all face hard things in our lives, some of those things may feel insurmountable. In those moments, I’ve learned that happiness comes from within, it cannot be found elsewhere.” This quote from Rita not only shows her maturity, but shines a light of how her family was able to survive, despite all the odds.

I highly recommend “Under the Java Moon.”

A fascinating story about a time and place I knew very little about. The author weaves a compelling tale around a group of people who feel very real and very relatable, which really helps to bring home the horrors of wartime. The characters in this book stayed with me for a long time after I'd finished reading.

Under the Java Moon is a historical novel about the Japanese occupation of Java Island in Indonesia during WWII. It is based on the actual facts of the Dutch family of Rita Vischer. The chapters alternate between Rita and her family being detained in the Japanese internment camp and her father's struggles at sea before being caught and placed in a POW camp. It is heartbreaking to read how people were treated in these camps. I read a lot of WWII novels, most are set in Europe. This is the first book I've read about Japanese concentration camps. This one is a page-turner. Thanks to author Heather B. Moore, Shadow Mountain Publishing, and NetGalley. I received a complimentary copy of this ebook. The opinions expressed in this review are entirely my own.

Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore was a very well written book! I had no idea there were concentration camps in Indonesia during World War II. This was a very fast read for me that kept the interest and intensity going the whole way. It retold the real life story of a family there, how they were separated from their father and lived in the camps for over 3 years. I really enjoyed the back of the book where the author took it chapter by chapter and told the actual happenings in the war relating to them. Sometimes historical fiction can be boring, but this book never even got close! It was done incredibly well!!! So very good!!!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ ⭐️

This WWII novel has to be one of my favourite reads of 2023, based on the true story of Rita Vischer and her family, the author has turned it into the most gripping read. I loved it, not because of the story it told, because it has to be said, it’s a terribly harrowing one, made all the more so because these stories actually happened to those unlucky enough to be interned in a Japanese prisoner of war camp, so definitely not because of the storyline, it’s more a case of ‘despite’ it, shouting out its message of love, hope, determination and courage.

This is a well-researched and well written novel based on the experiences of Marie Rita Vischer (Ita) during the 3 years she and her family were prisoners of war in Tjideng prison camp after the NEI's surrendered to Japan in 1942. The family had been separated from their father George. The story follows the whole family, including George, throughout the war and beyond, and is difficult to read but impossible to put down.
The miserable and terrifying nights spent initially, in a waterlogged bomb shelter fearing a direct hit before the Japanese finally invaded. This was followed by the starvation, torture, abuse and disease that they had to endure in the internment camp, and which actually brought tears to my eyes.

Even after the Japanese surrendered to the Allies, the Dutch still weren’t safe following the Indonesian National Revolution, with rebel gangs out to attack them, with many shot and killed. The Indonesians were taking back control of their lands and occupying homes that had been owned by the Dutch, leaving the Dutch with nowhere to go, and after years in the internment camp, they didn’t have the strength to do anything to help themselves.

This is a moving testament to the human spirit - to the powers of redemption and renewal after such tragic events, with the ensuing pain of lost dreams, misery, hatred and prejudice, and the hardship that makes one wonder at the fortitude and perseverance required to both live and survive such devastating consequences. This is an absolute must read and I shall be thinking about it for a very long time. Highly recommended.

This isn’t just another World War II story. It took me to a new place with a different perspective on the war. It was fascinating and heartbreaking to learn what some families went through. Although some of what they went through was horrible it wasn’t told in a graphic way to be too disturbing. There was a lot of hope in this story and I’m grateful that Rita could share her story. I really enjoyed reading.

I was on the plane, on my way back from Japan a few days after attending the Hiroshima commemoration ceremony, when I looked for a book to read on my Kindle. I had downloaded "Under the Java Moon" a few weeks before, for the sole reason that it was from the wonderful author Heather B. Moore, and I had no idea what it was about. I started reading it, and soon realised it was the perfect book to read on my 14-hour journey back home from Japan. It's a haunting book, hard to put down, that sheds light on the Dutch experience of WWII in Indonesia under Japanese control.

The story begins in 1941, on Java Island, where 6-year-old Rita observes the premises of war in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI). Surrounded by her family, neighbours and friends, the little girl soon experiences the atrocities of war: life in a Japanese-controlled concentration camp, with permanent hunger, disease and death floating around. Based on a true story, the narrator follows Rita and her parents, Mary and George, as they all experience their own hardship.

As always, I was impressed with the way Heather B. Moore transformed a real person's testimony in such a gripping and vivid novel. The chapters switched between different characters' point of view, and for Rita's part, the tone of voice didn't always match what a little 6-year-old girl would think (no matter how mature she was), but it didn't bother me much, as I especially enjoyed the chapters her point of view.
Heather B. Moore's writing is - as always - flawless, and I didn't see the time go by as I read the book.

With very little knowledge of WWII in Asia, and no knowledge whatsoever of Dutch people's experience in Indonesia, it was beyond interesting to learn what happened there. The novel was full of interesting little details, complementing the bigger events that are described in an easily understandable way. The annex at the end of the novel, further describing events, details and sources, was a welcome addition.

*I received an eARC in exchange for my honest opinion*

„Under the Java Moon“ offers a unique perspective of Dutch settler families during the Second World War in Java, Indonesia - a country the Dutch monarchy had been colonizing for hundreds of years. As a result, many Dutch people lived on the islands and called them their home.
Largely forgotten seem to be the regions of the world outside of Europe that greatly suffered because of European aggressors and their reach into all parts of the world, in this case the South Pacific.
Indonesia had to struggle with being colonized which subsequently led to the Japanese invasion during WWII after the attack on Pearl Harbor and the Allies declaring war against Japan as part of the Axis Powers.
Japanese war crimes and colonization throughout Asia is often brushed away and has not been subject to historical evaluation at all.

The book deals with a Dutch family that becomes POWs during the Japanese occupation and were put into internment camps under horrible rule.
It is quite jarring to realize that not only Jewish people (although they are to be seen separate to European POWs not only in numbers but because European POWs were not subject to an industrialized genocide with a centuries long history of prejudice and violence against them but on the contrary, an extremely privileged and also colonizing group up until the South Pacific Islands were occupied by Japan) but also so many other innocent people were put into internment or concentration camps during WWII.

The writing was excellent. I especially liked that it was full of emotions but not full on trauma porn like it is often the case with fiction of war. Of course extremely terrible and horrible things happened during the Japanese occupation but it did not need to be written out word for word. In my opinion the reader was quite aware of what was going on without depicting in detail all the war crimes or crimes that were committed among the prisoners themselves.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

'How had this all become their world?'

One of the biggest blessings of reading is to be transported to a time and place and to learn something you didn't already know. It could be historical events, culture, empathy...this list can go on and on.

This book was about things I have never learned about. How grateful I am for authors that take the time to find these stories and to give them a voice. I can imagine the difficulty that was part of writing this book. Both for the woman who was willing to share her experience and for the author to have to relive heartbreaking situations over and over as the story took shape.

Heather B. Moore is phenomenal at what she does. Her books always make me spend weeks reflecting on the story she has shared. This one was no different. Her books hold a special place in my heart because they are based on real stories...real lives...real people.

I wont lie, there are heartbreaking moments to this book. War is never happy. This book is worth reading because these moments need to be remembered and hopefully learned from.

I really appreciated the different points of view. It gave a very 360 degree type over view of what happened not only to men, or women, but children too. Even the Indonesian people after Japan occupied the Island.

Read this one for the knowledge, the empathy, the understanding of what real problems and troubles are.

I'll be forever grateful I read this one!

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the copy. All thoughts in this review are my own.

Content: war-injury descriptions, death of loved ones, mild suspense, prisoner of war camps-mentions of conditions and labor, Examples of finding hope in hard times and family relationships.

1941-1945 Java Island/Dutch East Indies/Indonesia

Based upon the experiences of the Dutch Vischer Family as shared by Rita Vischer to the author.

Dutch families living on Java Island were put in internment camps when the island was taken over by Japanese soldiers. The Vischer Family was separated during that time. This novel shares what life was like for George Vischer and his family.

The author includes so many historical details that bring the time to life. What a harrowing experience for the families. The author takes readers from 1941 to a few months after the war ends. Several historical details are in the Afterward.

Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore is a heart-touching narration. Built around the scenario of World War II, it is a true story which revolves around the Dutch family of Marie (Rita) Vischer Elliott living in Indonesia. The writer narrates the experiences and painful memories of Rita and her family when Japan invaded Indonesia.

Rita, for many years, has kept these painful memories buried deep in her heart. The reader is told that Rita and her parents never like discussing war or watching such movies. This becomes pretty obvious as the story opens up to some very cruel memories of this family during the war.

The book holds a strong sense of how worst one family comes to suffer when they are imprisoned by the invaders. The narrator, who happens to be Heather herself, beautifully puts the emotions, thoughts and feelings of Rita and her family from the beginning till the end.

The simple, beautiful life of Rita and her family, which harshly changes into imprisonment in Tjideng camp, is purely heartbreaking. It is an eye-opener to the cruel realities of war from a Dutch family’s perspective.
The author herself admits that she has never come across stories about Dutch people's experiences in Indonesia during World War II. The heart-touching story of Rita and her family is a bitter reality of the past that has been worth narrating.

Heather begins with the background of the Japanese invasion of Indonesia on December 7, 1941. The story then goes further to give the reader a little glimpse of Rita’s family, their home and family’s fears of the approaching invasion. How scary their nights are waiting for sirens for air raids. The situation gets tense when Rita’s father, George Vischer is called on to his naval duties. He and his crew are to go to Australia in a minesweeper and nobody knows for how long he will be gone.

Meanwhile, Rita's mom Mary is with another child and that puts the story into more twists and turns. Life at Tjideng camp is worsened after the family’s imprisonment, along with many other families. The troubles they face with disease and lack of food, accommodation and punishments are shocking to read. Later in the story, George and a few of his surviving crew members are also caught and imprisoned by Japanese soldiers.

It breaks one’s heart when Rita’s grandmother Oma, who has been their biggest support, dies in the camp and Rita’s little brother’s death from pneumonia later in the story is hard to put in words.

The reader throughout the book experience all kinds of emotions, mostly fear and sadness, loss and freedom, like looking for some light at the end of the tunnel. It makes one realize how a country’s citizens are the worst victims of these past wars and why the world should promote peace more.

The language throughout the book is approachable to the reader. The author has brilliantly narrated the events with a smooth blend of emotions that is very much felt throughout the story. Heather’s idea of gathering all these memories of Rita and her family’s experience in one book is very much appreciated. Under the Java Moon is highly recommended for the general audience. Especially for historians and all those who like to know more about these wars from a family’s perceptive. A great read.

Wow. This book was excellent! Excellent in a way where your heart hurts and you feel for each and every character that comes across the page. Especially knowing that practically every character was a real person and their true stories and experiences were being told.

Heather B Moore has this ability to take pieces of history that are unknown to most and bring them to the attention of a large audience. I’d never heard about the Dutch prison camps on Java or the atrocities therein. And while this isn’t a pleasant topic by any means, it IS history and I think it’s important to be aware and remember what was endured. World War II was a dark period of time and millions around the world were affected.

Humans have a remarkable will to survive and the ability to withstand any number of pressures. Sadly, this spirit can be broken too. Under the Java Moon shows us the reality of both worlds but also focuses on the resilience of human nature. Through all the trials and heartache there is a glimmer of hope.

I really enjoyed reading the Vischers’ story in this form, and in turn the countless number of others with similar experiences during this time. I especially appreciated the quotes at the beginning of each chapter and the chapter/historical notes at the end. (I found it best to read each note after I had finished the corresponding chapter.)

This book was well written, thoroughly researched, and completely engrossing.
If you haven’t picked up a historical fiction novel by Heather B Moore yet, I highly recommend that you do!

I received an advanced copy of this book from the publisher and author. I was not required to leave a positive review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Java Island, 1941

Under the Java Moon is the story of Rita Vischer's family and their journey to surviving the horrors of the Japanese-occupied Dutch East Indies during WWII. They are separated for the majority of the war to a POW camp. Rita enters the Tjideng camp with her little brother, Georgie, her Oma, and her mother, Mary who is three months pregnant. The chapters go back and forth with chapters of POVs of Mary, Rita, and George (Rita’s father).

The Vischer family is reunited and though it is not graphic in detail, there is enough to convey the life they endured during the Japanese occupation. I was not aware of this part of the war being played out in the Java Islands, but I felt it was written with care, love, and respect for the memories of Rita Vischer. There was hope, courage, and resilience shown and though it was hard to read, I really enjoyed and connected to the majority of the characters except for Aunt Tie, she didn't show compassion, she kept herself separate from the others. I felt this was a unique story though the storyline of WWII has been told many times, the location made it new and engaging. Recommended!

My gratitude to Netgalley and Shadow Mountain. All opinions expressed are mine.

Thanks to Shadow Mountain Publishing and NetGalley for this free ARC in return for my honest review.

What a fantastic book! Author Heather B. Moore has done a marvelous job blending the true story of Rita Vischer into a gripping historical fiction novel about the Netherlands East Indies (NEI) just prior to the Japanese attack and occupation of what is now known as Indonesia. This is a story that needs to be told, about survival and courage and by using the actual events and people in the NEI we see a part of WW2 that is never seen or covered here in the US. We follow the Vischer family and the horrid plight of the women and children in a prison camp. It is tough to read, but not gory. But it is what these people had to put up with for 3 years of Japanese occupation. We also follow George for portion of the book as he is ordered by the navy to try and make a desperate attempt to get to Australia and help form a counter attack. That fails and we see the privation that he is also subjected to. Each chapter begins with a quote from an actual survivor of one of the NEI camps which leads into the focus of each chapter. Men, women, children are all subjected to brutal conditions, and we also see the crazed command of Captain Sonei, who is pure evil and subjects the women and children to roll calls two to three times per day, some lasting as long as 6-hours. This is a book you need to read.. As the prisoners are reduced to one meal per day of porridge, and even must go so far as eating or using grass for sustenance. On minor infraction can lead to multiple days of no food,. The conditions were inhumane and I wonder how they compared to life in the Nazi camps, or even the US Civil War camp at Andersonville, GA? Even after the Japanese surrender the problems persist as native Indonesians attack and kill anyone they can find who is Dutch. Yes it is war and, yes war his Hell, but mans inhumanity to man is here in this book and we need to confront this issue. For the Vischer family goodness and hope survive but for so many others the outcomes were just brutal, A spectacular book in my opinion. 4.5****

During WWII, Dutch Rita and her family live on the Java Islands. Her father is an engineer for the Dutch Navy. When the Japanese invade, his boat is torpedoed and he is left to drift in the sea. Rita, her little brother, and pregnant mother, are forced into a camp. They live in a house with many other families, little food, and no sanitation. The book alternates points of view between Rita, her Mom Mary, and father George.

Wow, this book was great1!. It was well written and the characters were dynamic. It also provides insight into WWI's affects on Indonesia and Japanese internment camps, which few books cover. The story was well paced, and the different points of view were interesting and added to the story. 5 out of 5 stars.

Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore
A true and eye opening story full of resilience, hope, and courage.

I have read so many WWII stories, and am amazed when one comes along about a facet of the war that was completely foreign to me. This was one of those.

I loved how each chapter begins with a quote from people who actually lived this story, then continues with the family's tale.

Rita, a young girl and her family are Dutch, living in Java, Indonesia. They have a very comfortable life, and enjoy love for each other. This all changes when Japan declares war on Holland and they are forced to move into a POW camp with hundreds of thousands of other Dutch families.
Rita, her pregnant mother, her grandma, and her toddler brother are alone to face the atrocities that they are faced with there. Her father is sent to sea to help with Hollands efforts in the war. His story is told parallel with theirs.

Illness, starvation, cruelty, and a spirit of survival abound in this story. I continually wondered HOW a human can withstand the things that they were faced with. Friendship, faith, and determination are key.

I'm so thankful to be able to review this book before publication. I appreciate Net Galley and Shadow Mountain Publishers for trusting me with this amazing true tale.