Thief of Glory

by Sigmund Brouwer
Hennepin County Library paperback 319 pages
genre: Christian historical fiction

I loved this! I can hardly wait until Monday for our book club discussion! And I cannot believe that I've never heard of this author before. I need to get more of his books!

I don't want to spoil this for those who haven't read the book, so I'll be brief here. Set in the Dutch East Indies (now called Indonesia), a young boy named Jeremiah has his world turned upside down in a day. He meets and falls instantly in love with Laura Jansen. He also meets and instantly loathes Georgie Smith. Soon after, the Japanese take over the island and put all the Dutch men into work camps. The Dutch women and children are held in a small, barbed wire-enclosed camp guarded by Japanese soldiers with guns. This story is told with such vivid language - the sights, sounds, experiences, and emotions are powerful. The scene with the python - incredible! I was holding my breath!

The things I did NOT like:
- The author uses so much foreshadowing that there were times I felt that I already knew where the book would end. Enough already! Just tell the story.
- The cover image . . . is that woman supposed to be Laura? Elspeth? What is she symbolizing there?

Possible spoilers:
page 228-9 - I love the way that Sophie responded to young Jeremiah's doubts, questions, and frustrations with God and faith. "I understand," she said. "It is sometimes difficult, with evil around, to believe in what is good."

 page 238 - "Our bodies are the carriers of our souls. Too often we get lost in the physical world when our souls should focus elsewhere. Just as often, we get lost in the darkness of our souls when our bodies can so easily provide escape and distraction."

page 263 - "To be human is to tell story, and to tell story is what makes us human. Our lives are unfolding stories, and when we lose our stories, we lose ourselves."

page 281 - Finally! I finally find out (almost at the end of the book) why he didn't meet her! Grrr. This was an "aha" moment that made a huge difference in the storyline!

page 296 - "What a gift given to me, that at my age, I still felt that little catch in my heart at an unexpected glimpse of her." Sweet.

page 302 - I love when Laura says, "Unless there is more to life on earth than this life on earth. Like my grandmother, I believe there is, that we have a soul and another destination. That's what gave her courage in the Jappenkamp. Now I need to find that same courage."

page 304 - "This was a new sensation for me, the feeling of being able to trust the help of someone. I was proud of my daughter and, more importantly, was able to tell her that by leaning in and whispering. My reward was a radiant smile from her."

page 310 - "It would be wonderful if we could always see that what we have in common as humans outweighs our differences."

page 318 - Hooray! "Thus, in solitude one night all these decades later, while still cognizant of the words I spoke, I found the strength and courage to fold my hands together and bow my head and finally ask His mercy."

Another thing that bothered me . . . he spent SIXTY years of his life with a woman he didn't love, and then a daughter with whom he shared almost no affection or real communication. Such a sad waste of a lifetime! I'm glad most of the story focused on the year he was ten.

added 10/28/14
Book club discussion was enjoyable last night. No surprise, since this was such a good book. I added a marker to pages 44-45 where Jeremiah's dad sits down to talk with him and prepare him for the future. That is a remarkable scene. This is a book I would actually re-read . . .