Close

Login

Lost Password     Register

Close

Register

Lost Password     Login

Close

Lost Password

Login     Register

Book Review

Purchase Book at Amazon.com

Publisher's Note:

Based on a true story, this gripping WWII novel captures the resilience, hope, and courage of a Dutch family who is separated during the war when the Japanese occupy the Dutch East Indies. Java Island, 1941 - Six-year-old Rita Vischer cowers in her family’s dug-out bomb shelter, listening to the sirens and waiting for a bomb to fall. Her charmed life on Java―living with other Dutch families―had always been peaceful, but when Holland declares war on Japan and the Japanese army invades Indonesia, Rita’s family is forced to relocate to a POW camp, and Rita must help care for her little brother, Georgie. Mary Vischer is three months pregnant when she enters the Tjident women’s camp with thousands of other women and children. Her husband, George, is somewhere on the Java Sea with the Dutch Navy, so she must care alone for her young children, Rita and Georgie, and her frail mother. The brutal conditions of the overcrowded camp make starvation, malaria, and dysentery a grim reality. Mary must do everything she can to keep her family alive. George Vischer survives the bombing of his minesweeper but feels little hope floating on a small dinghy in the Java Sea. Reaching the northern tip of the Thousand Island would be a miracle. Focusing on the love of his life, Mary, and his two children, he battles against the sea and merciless sun. He’ll do whatever it takes to close the divide between him and his family, even if it means risking being captured by the Japanese. Under the Java Moon highlights a little-known p…

This review may contain affiliate links, which means if you make a purchase using these links, then Compass Book Ratings may earn a small commission.

Under the Java Moon

by Heather B. Moore

Reviewer: Jenny
Genre: Historical Fiction
Recommended Age: 18+

Overall Book Review:

Under the Java Moon is a phenomenally written story that will have a lasting impact on readers. Based on the true story of Marie (Rita) Vischer Elliot, author Heather B. Moore shares a horrific piece of history in a way that is educational and engaging. Even though the subject is disconcerting, she managed to include just enough details to help us understand the story without making it too difficult to read. While reading it will likely leave you sickened and sad by the choices of some, it will also leave you feeling uplifted by those who were brave and kind, even in such awful circumstances. Not only that, but Mrs. Elliot was incredibly brave to relive it all in order to ensure the history was remembered, which couldn’t have been an easy thing. For someone such as Mrs. Elliot to survive and thrive after such difficulty is inspiring. Moore did a beautiful job of giving us a glimpse into this brave woman’s story. Anyone who enjoys reading about history, war, or historical fiction will love Under the Java Moon.

Review of an Advance Reading Copy Provided by the Shadow Mountain Publishing

Content Analysis: 

Profanity/Language: 1 mild obscenity (describing the difficult situation).

Violence/Gore: Many (78) brief incidents including characters worrying about death; several death threats; many second-hand reports of people getting sick and dying from diseases; many second-hand reports of people dying in war; reference to someone getting in a bicycle accident; references to characters getting beaten and tortured; second-hand reports of people starving to death; reference to murder; references to people killing animals; second-hand report of characters attacking others; reference to genocide; characters getting severe sunburns; characters getting severe sores and diseases, many causing death; trailer running over small child’s foot and causing injury; characters beating others; animals attacking people; characters fighting; a few non-detailed incidents of characters killed in war.  

Sex/Nudity: Several (15) brief incidents including adult couple kissing, holding hands, hugging, cuddling; married woman is pregnant; reference to Japanese taking unmarried women (no further detail given, but may or may not be a sexual reference); reference to a red light city.

Mature Subject Matter:

War; death; disease; genocide and torture; families being separated; character having a mental breakdown.

Alcohol and Drug Use:

Character goes to an opium factory; reference to an alcoholic father; a few incidents of character smoking cigarettes; reference to a character being drunk.

Overall Book Rating
Profanity/Language
Rating:
2
10
Violence/Gore
Rating:
4
10
Sex/Nudity
Rating:
2
10

Share This Post

About the Reviewer

Jenny
I love being able to help busy parents who just don’t have the time to pre-screen all their children’s books and know how much I appreciate it as my sons have gotten older. I feel very blessed that my amazing husband makes it possible for me to be a stay-at-home mother to four amazing boys. When not reading or enjoying time with my family, I like baking, especially trying new recipes, and the occasional sewing project.

Share Compass Book Ratings