Reviews

In 1944 over 1000 Japanese soldiers attempt to break out of the Cowra POW compound including Hiroshi, who is determined to survive and manages to escape. He is found by Banjo, a man from from the nearby Erambie Aboriginal mission and he hides him in their bunker.

Mary, Banjo’s 17 year old daughter is tasked with bringing Hiroshi food every day and love blossoms. However life is not simple for either of them and whilst they can enjoy their interactions now, the future is very uncertain.

I must say this book was not quite what I was expecting. I was expecting historical fiction, but it read more like a cross between an information piece on how Aboriginal people were treated during this time (appallingly) and a YA (or even younger) romance. The latter of which is not really my preferred genre.

I think this book is worth reading for every Australian to understand how the Aboriginal people have been treated, (the POW were treated better than the Aboriginal people, who were subject to rations!

tintededges's review against another edition

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4.0

Check out my review at https://tintededges.wordpress.com/2016/09/24/barbed-wire-and-cherry-blossoms/

jeanettegtf's review

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informative mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

Story about a unique time and place in history. This is one of those stories about place, time and the day-to-day lives in both ordinary and extraordinary circumstances.

I really appreciated that the ending was realistic and that it stayed true to the time and place.

blovessummer's review

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emotional hopeful informative reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

slugger's review

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challenging informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

littlewishling's review

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challenging emotional sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.0

A nice story full of really interesting history that I didn’t know but I found the writing to be too simplistic for my tastes but would be perfect for teen readers

kari_f's review

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challenging reflective sad medium-paced

4.0

Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms is part historical fiction, part love story, and part social commentary. All of these parts add up to a beautiful story of resilience, heartbreak, empathy, sacrifice, and the hope for a better future.

I’ve read historical novels about Japanese internment in other countries, but never one taking place in Australia. The main characters are a Japanese prisoner of war and a young Aboriginal woman on the Erambie Mission in New South Wales during World War II.

Through their conversations with each other, we learn about the cultures, fears, and dreams of both characters. We grow to love them both as they fall in love with each other, but we also feel the immense pressure they both bear the weight of because of the societal issues plaguing their communities. The book dives into hard topics and looks at multiple dichotomies: peace vs war, safety vs honor, personal freedom and autonomy vs servitude and societal pressure. It’s a book that uses the past as a lens to observe the present and to tell the stories of voices not often heard in popular literature. It’s a book that asks the reader to re-examine their ideas on “other” and “enemy,” in order to really see the beauty and culture and goodness of individuals different from ourselves.

✅ for lovers of historical fiction and learning about culture

Content Warnings

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