A very personal story sheds light on an extraordinary point in our recent history. I found the human setting Jongbloed portrays brings the historical aspects hot and close, so close that I could really smell the reality in them and traces which explain where we are today. As a sweet and joyous baby, whose first world was a Japanese concentration camp in Indonesia, the baby Marijcke certainly saved the sanity of her parents, interned in separate camps and only able to communicate through infrequent letters smuggled in by locals. Jongbloed extends her own family memories with other sources, showing that her own experiences were shared and typical of a much wider situation. I deeply appreciate the fairness with which she describe atrocity. Beyond a personal and family story this book puts Indonesia into an international context and reveals an ever fascinating country. This is an excellently well-composed book, and documents a reference for humanity. This book would be excellent reading material for schools, anyone interested in Indonesia, WWII, humanity, and the general mysteries of life. --Review via Amazon.com