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.

Historical novel based on a true story, another great read by this author. Reminded me very much of a drama series set in Java Indonesia years ago. Set around 1942 in a time of instability for the wealthy Dutch families and settlers when the island is invaded by the Japanese army. Told from various viewpoints, the men in service who desert the island and the women and families left behind and the hardships they have to endure. Lack of food, unbearable living conditions and the strain of relationships as well as interactions with their captors allow the reader to become absorbed in the storyline.

Thanks to Netgalley the author and publishers for an ARC in return for an honest review

I absolutely love Heathers books and this one was equally fantastic as all of her other ones. This is a part of WWII HISTORY that once again I had very little knowledge of. I took AP world history in high school and was a history/ anthropology major in college, so a lot of history classes. This island wasn’t mentioned. I am so glad I know now! Thank you Heather for always bringing the untold stories out to the world.

This was an amazing historical fiction, based on the true story of Mary and her family. It tells the story of Java Island in WWII, which was known as the Netherlands East Indies. Many Dutch families lived there. When the Japanese took control of the Island, the families were forced into POW camps in horrible conditions.

I had never heard of the experiences of the Dutch people of Java before reading this book, and I'm so glad to know their story of survival and resilience.

The book kept me turning pages so I could see what would happen to the family - each new chapter had me on the edge of my seat, hoping they could survive the trials they faced.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction. This one definitely depicts the harsh realities of war, but I learned so much and was inspired by the Dutch people's strength.

Thank you to Shadow Mountain Publishing, NetGalley, and Heather B. Moore for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

In the Netherlands, just before WWII, my grandpa had finished building his home including an underground cellar. He just had a feeling they would need it! Whenever German soldiers marched into town friends and neighbors always knew where they could go and not be discovered.

The story of Marie (Rita) Visher Elliott and her family shows me the type of metal my Dutch heritage is made of! The camp that they were forced into and the deplorable ways in which they were treated is heartbreaking. The Japanese took over the oil rich island and they were able to recruit the Indonesians to their cause and turn them against their former Dutch friends. I was not aware of the tense relationship between the Dutch and their friends from Indonesia. The selected bibliography gave me several resources to look up and find out what caused the tension between former friends and neighbors. In the Japanese camps, the Dutch always helped and looked out for each other. They are survivors!

A special thanks to Marie (Rita) Visher Elliott, thank you for sharing your story!

I received a complimentary copy of "Under the Java Moon" from the publisher through NetGalley. The thoughts and opinions in this review are my own.

I am not a great historian, and most of my knowledge of WW2 is more on the European side. My knowledge of what else Japan did during the war was vague, just a bit of Philippine things. So this book has been eye opening to me.

This book follows a Dutch family living in what is now Indonesia. Japan was happy to start occupying new lands after their success at Pearl Harbor. As they took over this area, they put all non-Java residents into camps, I would call them concentration camps. And while they did not do experiments on them as the Nazis did, these were still brutal places., with this camp possibly having some areas of less brutality than others. As I watched this family live in these conditions, my heart hurt so much. The inhumanity of man is heartbreaking. I truly appreciated the characters who were kind and were still the "enemy", you could tell the ones who kept their humanity as much as possible.

Thank you Rita for sharing your story with us! I cannot imagine how hard it was to share! Thank you for your resilience and your strength to live!

This book is amazing! I can't wait for the audio to share on a road trip with my husband! Great job Heather B. Moore, I am excited for what is next!

I was unaware of the Dutch internment camps in Java until this book. The story of the Vischer family is one of courage, faith and human kindness in the face of unspeakable horror and conditions. This book proves that we can choose our attitudes and actions even in the most dire of circumstances. I loved the family dynamic and the close relationships of the children. I would highly recommend this book to anyone.

Fast-paced, but interspersed with lyrical prose, this was a very compelling read! The changing narrative voices offer multiple perspectives of the same events, making this novel one of the most enjoyable reads this year! I’ve mostly read colonial/postcolonial fiction in which the ‘victims’ are the locals and, even then, it has been mostly fiction set in the Commonwealth region. So this gave me fresh perspective on the (Dutch) coloniser as ‘victim’.

Structurally, both the adult and childrens’ voices are captured well. However, in a couple of instances when Rita is narrating the story, the thinking and insights offered are quite unrealistic given that the narrator is 5 or 7-year-old child at the time. It would have been better suited to the insight if the voice had been an adult’s at these junctures, perhaps with a brief narrative from the child’s perspective at these points in the story.. But barring these these few instances, I enjoyed Rita’s narrative, as well as her mother’s narrative, the best!

Heather B Moore has written a beautiful World War II era novel in her newest release, Under the Java Moon. I loved it and highly recommend it for reader who enjoy historical fiction. Five stars.

"ᴀʟᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜ ɪ ʜᴀᴅ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴅᴏᴢᴇɴꜱ ᴏꜰ ʙᴏᴏᴋꜱ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴡᴏʀʟᴅ ᴡᴀʀ ɪɪ ᴏᴠᴇʀ ᴛʜᴇ ʏᴇᴀʀꜱ, ɪ ʜᴀᴅɴ'ᴛ ᴇᴠᴇʀ ʀᴇᴀᴅ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴜᴛᴄʜ ᴘᴇᴏᴘʟᴇ'ꜱ ᴇxᴘᴇʀɪᴇɴᴄᴇ ɪɴ ɪɴᴅᴏɴᴇꜱɪᴀ".
This is how the author Heather B. Moore describes her interest in writing the story of Marie 'Rita' Vischer and her family of Dutch colonisers and military employers who live on Java island during the outbreak of WWII. It's the story of the brutality of the Japanese invasion, and how the colonisers become hunted and put into POW-camps of deplorable conditions. It's a fairly simple and straightforward narration, told in alternate POVs from the family, that leaves nothing out and guides the reader through all events.

There is so much to unpack. At the end of the book, there are excellent notes and study questions break down the events and reflect about them. All this makes the book suitable for readers new to historical fiction. While the content is heavy, the violence isn't too hard to read about I think, and rape is only alluded to. It's an eye-opening read about the World-aspect of the World War for those who don't know much about it.

The book is meticulously researched - except for one point. Several times in the story, the main characters describes how their wounds had become septic and they were in need of antibiotics. However, while the first antibiotics were discovered as early as the 19th century, penicillin wasn't manufactured and brought to the marked until after 1945. It was actually one of the main reason the war ended, since there had simply been too much loss of military personnel. This faulty research annoyed me enough to almost give the book three stars, but everything else is correct, so I relented.

Since the book is based on memories from a child, certain aspects are maybe not gone into with that much depth, like the native uprising after the war ended. Still, it's a good book that I recommend.

Thank you Netgalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing for the eArc.

Beautiful story about a side of the war I hadn’t heard much about before. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy, all opinions are my own

Another side of the WW2 experience that I knew little about. Lots of information at the end of the book as well as notes for each chapter. The story revolves around a Dutch family, the Vischers. They become separated when the Japanese arrive in the Dutch East Indies. Women and children are sent to prison camps separate from the men. It was heartbreaking to read about the impact of war on Indonesia and the cruelty and horrible conditions suffered. Very well-researched. Thank you, NetGalley and Shadow Mountain for the opportunity to read this devasting account. My opinions are my own.

Based on the life of a young Dutch mother, her children and her mother who are held in a Japanese prisoner camp in Indonesia during WWII. The author has done extensive research and melded together stories from other survivors with the actual story of the Vischer family. The father is given orders to crew with a mine sweeper and get to Australia before the Japanese take over Java. His story is told in parallel to the women’s story. A fascinating and difficult read, one that was hard to put down. Brings the history of this place and time to all too vivid life. Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for a preview copy.

A true eye opener for me. I knew nothing about the Japanese occupation of Java Island, in Indonesia, during WWII and the imprisonment of the Dutch in internment camps. The descriptions of the living conditions, within these internment camps, are visceral. Heather Moore’s writing is excellent. The story is riveting. The explanations of each chapter at the end of the book, are a wonderful re-cap. Thank you NetGalley and Shadow Mountain Publishing, for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own. #UnderTheJavaMoon, # ShadowMountainPubslishing, #NetGalley.

This book is based on a true story. It is a little-known part of World War 2 history. It explores what happened to the Dutch people living in the Dutch colonies in Indonesia before and during the Japanese invasion in WW2. It specifically takes place on the island of Java. The story follows a Dutch family that is split up and imprisoned when the Japanese take over the island. George Vischer, the father, leaves with the military right before the invasion, but his ship is sunk by the Japanese. He and the other survivors must persevere through exposure, starvation, injury, and betrayal. Mary, the mother, is pregnant. She, their two children, and her own mother are imprisoned in a POW camp on the island. The captivity and separation lasts for 3 years. Thankfully most of the family was together in the camp, but they had no idea where or if their husband and father was alive. It is hard to imagine living like they did. They were starved almost to death, beaten, mentally tortured, and suffered from disease and injury with barely any medical care. I appreciate that it was noted that not all of their Japanese captors were evil. There were kind soldiers just trying to follow their orders and sadistic ones. The kind ones gave me hope for humanity. Honestly, I thought the Japanese soldiers as a whole ended up being more honorable than the natives of Java. After the war was over the Javans were killing the remaining Dutch survivors indiscriminately. The Japanese were trying to protect the Dutch. Yes, they were ordered to, but I have to think it was more than just duty driving them. It is said that in war there are no winners.
This was not an easy or enjoyable read. Most of the story was very sad which made it hard for me to get through it. But, the story was well-written and it needed to be told. I am glad I read it. The themes of family, compassion, and perseverance make the book hopeful despite the evil it portrays. I want to share stories like this with my children so they remember that we are all human beings and have value.

This is my honest opinion based on the complimentary review copy sent by NetGalley and the publisher. I was not required to give a favorable review.

WOW! ANOTHER great book by Heather B Moore.

I had never heard of the story of the Dutch in Indonesia during World War II. I was intrigued and dug right into the book.

Its very fast paced, wonderfully written, and although fiction, based on true events.

My heart went out to the people caught up in the war and what happened in the internment camps.

I thought that the author did a wonderful job of telling the story and blending it with the historical events.

Everyone wanting to know more about World War II in Asia should read this book.

Under the Java Moon is an amazing story. The Vischer family is just one example of what the Dutch people went through in Java during the war and after. They survived so many hardships and trials. There are other families who were there alongside the Vischer, whom we get to know and feel their losses and triumphs. These stories need to be told, so others can see what has happened and hopefully learn from them.

#Under the Java Moon
#Netgalley

I learned a lot from this historical fiction novel. Heather Moore, the author, did a fabulous job of writing this story. I liked at the end of the story the information Heather added by chapter. I highly recommend this novel.