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.

Under the Java Moon by Heather Moore is based on the true story of an internment camp in the Dutch East Indies during WWII and the challenges one particular family faces in these dreadful and taxing circumstances that ultimately left thousands dead. When the Japanese invaded the Dutch East Indies, they were assigned to put all the Dutch, many of whom had been in Indonesia for at least four generations, in the camp. At the same time, the local Indonesians saw this as their opportunity to finally actively object to the Dutch occupiers.

The family that plays the greatest part in describing the horrible rigors of the camp is the Vischer family. Their poignant and tender story which is juxtaposed against the cruelties and illnesses in the camp details the family closeness and in particular, the leadership and resilience of the wife and mother, Mary. Mary has a daughter, Rita, known as Ita, her younger brother Georgie, and another son, Robbie, born in the camp. Mary's mother, Oma, also adds strength to the family unit although she does no survive the camp. There are a couple of other families, friends of the Vischers who are fictional and round out the picture of the camp. Eventually, George, the father, who tried unsuccessfully to escape to Australia to help fight the Japanese, ends up in the camp with his family toward the end of the war.

Mary's adamantine and inspirational ability to confront lack of food, deadly illnesses, and the utter cruelty of one Japanese Commandant keep her family together. The closeness they achieve in spite of depraved and disgusting conditions is remarkable.

Author Moore's excellent historical research and her interviews with members of the family are incisive. She details the pre-internment camp lives of the Dutch and then provides every necessary and even riveting detail of life in the camp. For those of us who had incomplete understanding of the Dutch East Indies conflict and then the Japanese invasion, this wonderful book gives detail and comprehensively explains the history of the Second World War in this part of the world.

"Under the Java Moon" is a compelling historical account written by Heather Moore, based on a true story. The book focuses on the experiences of the Vischer family and the larger Dutch community in Java during World War II. Java, known for its abundant natural resources and a discontented local population, became an easy target for the Japanese forces.

The story begins with the idyllic life of the Vischer family, but quickly transforms into a tale of survival. Bombings become a regular occurrence, and eventually, the Dutch authorities surrender to the Japanese. The Japanese command takes control and segregates the women and children into separate camps from the men. Mary, the main protagonist, finds herself alone and pregnant as her husband George is called to serve in the Navy.

The book delves into the challenges faced by the Vischer family and other families within the internment camp. It explores the daily lives of these women and children, highlighting the harsh realities and cruelties endured under Japanese rule. Each chapter opens with a tale from another survivor, providing additional perspectives and painting a gruesome picture of life in the camps.

However, as time passes, wounds begin to heal. The book ends on a more positive note, depicting the Vischer family's eventual liberation and their journey back to Holland. It highlights their resilience and the ability to rebuild their lives after the traumatic experience in the camps.

"Under the Java Moon" stands out from other books on the topic due to its inclusion of personal accounts from various survivors. These accounts further emphasize the unimaginable cruelty and challenges faced by those imprisoned in the internment camps. Despite the hardships depicted, the book ultimately offers hope and demonstrates the strength of the human spirit.

I love when I read a book and learn something new. I had no idea what this book was going to be about, other than that it was Historical Fiction. I also knew nothing about the Java islands or the hardships that the Dutch went through living there during WWII. It's such an important part of WWII history that is very little talked about. Under the Java Moon is a well-researched and well written novel based on the experiences of Marie Visher (Rita Visher; called Ita in much of the book) during the 3 years she and her family were prisoners of war in Tjideng after the NEI's surrendered to Japan in 1942.

"Each night as the moon rises, look up at it, and I'll do the same. Thinking of you and the children. Under the Java Moon." - George Vischer, Under the Java Moon by Heather B. Moore

The story is oftentimes gut-wrenching and made me sick to my stomach thinking and reading of the way these 'prisoners' were treated. It is so sad, and you can't even fully understand what it's like to live through something like that.

Rita (a very young child at the time) & her family showed so much courage in the face of starvation, abuse, torture, rampant disease, and death all around them. You really feel for them, and you begin to cheer with every victory they have, no matter how small. It's unfathomable the things they had to endure and how they continued to maintain hope that things would get better.

I loved how the characters all had different stories and experiences of their own throughout the war. Moore does a great job at capturing the thoughts and feelings of each character by switching the point of view for each chapter. You get a glimpse of what war was like at sea with George & Vos, as well as what it was like in the men's POW camps. Then, you get a peek into the horrible conditions of the women & children's POW camp that Mary, Rita, Oma, Georgie & Robbie are staying.

While this is a sad story and hard to read about, it's also a story about holding on to hope through all life's hardships. It is about perseverance, resilience, and courage beyond words. These women, children and men were so lucky to survive, and it's no wonder once their family was safe, no one ever spoke of the war again. I feel honored to have read Marie's story and glad that she decided to tell it after all these years. It is so important we know what happened and it is also important to know that "humanity would always rise about the rubble of lost dreams, hatred & prejudice. Ita and her family were living proof." - Heather B. Moore, Under the Java Moon

At the end of the book, there are Chapter Notes with some of Moore's research, which I thought was a great inclusion. I plan to look into some of the things that she had linked, especially the articles that George wrote about his war experiences.

The words that will stick well after reading this, are from Marie Vischer herself, written in the Afterword. "I learned that the human race is very resilient & adaptable, but life itself is fragile. We should not take it for granted." - Marie Vischer

The book was stunning to say the least.

Thank you NetGalley, Shadow Mountain, and Heather B. Moore for my ARC.