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Rising from the Shadow of the Sun: A Story of Love, Survival and Joy Paperback – March 15, 2011

by Ronny Herman De Jong (Author)
4.9 out of 5 stars 51 ratings
This is a fascinating chronicle based on the detailed diary of Netty Herman, a courageous Dutch mother, who records the horrors and desperation of life with her two young daughters, Ronny and Paula, in World War II Japanese concentration camps for women and children on Java; and the inspiring story of Ronny's journey from a childhood in captivity in Southeast Asia in the 1940s to peace and prosperity in the United States in the 21st century.
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  1. Print length
    372 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Booklocker.Com Inc
  4. Publication date
    March 15, 2011
  5. Dimensions
    5.51 x 0.83 x 8.5 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    1609107535
  7. ISBN-13
    978-1609107536
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The%20Amazon%20Book%20Review
The Amazon Book Review
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.

Editorial Reviews

From the Author

When my first book, In the Shadow of the Sun, based on my mother's journal and published in 1992, was out of print, but people kept asking me for more copies, I realized that the subject of women's suffering in Japanese concentration camps during WWII in the Pacific was unknown to many.

People in general know a lot about WWII in Europe, the Holocaust, and about the military war effort in the Pacific, but virtually nothing about the civilian camps for men, women and children and the cruel treatment of the prisoners by the Japanese Imperial Army in Southeast Asia.

When I found out about the NARA Files, the top secret Japanese War Crimes Files declassified in the year 2000, I knew I had to re-tell the story and add this valuable information for the whole world to know. The 1942 liquidation plan of the Japanese Ministry of War was stated in Exhibit O : Death for all prisoners of war in all camps in occupied Southeast Asia, to commence in September of 1945. That meant my life was saved by the bombs! I herewith thank all the veterans and deceased military who fought so courageously and gave their lives for the rescue we so desperately kept hoping and praying for.

Rising from the Shadow of the Sun, an autobiographical historical memoir, if I may call it that, details my mother's love and our survival of the concentration camps followed by vignettes of the wonderful, joyous life that has befallen me since.

At the time of its publication in March of 2011, my dear Mamma was 101 years old and very happy that our second book had seen the light. She received the very first copy.

From the Back Cover

An inspiring story about the human spirit and the resiliency that can be found in families and even little girls.
- Elizabeth Norman, PhD

Ronny's strong and engaging voice brings clear understanding of the physical and psychological suffering that interned women endured during the Japanese occupation.
- Virginia Colangelo, MA


Rising from the Shadow of the Sun reveals human greatness and depravity through the eyes of a little girl and her courageous mother. Ronny's life glows like a lunar rainbow of perseverance and hope. It's a testimony to the abiding strength of family and love.
- James Williams, MAT


Ronny's direct, matter-of-fact narrative is optimistic, revealing her abiding faith that love, determination and positive willpower can overcome adversity.
- Ray Newton, PhD

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Booklocker.Com Inc
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ March 15, 2011
  • Edition ‏ : ‎ First Edition
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 372 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1609107535
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1609107536
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.04 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.51 x 0.83 x 8.5 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 out of 5 stars 51 ratings

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
51 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find this book inspiring and engaging, with one noting how it shows how people behave and relate under terrible circumstances. Moreover, the narrative style receives positive feedback, with one customer describing it as a richly detailed account of real events. Additionally, customers praise the courage of the mother who protected her children throughout the story.

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10 customers mention "Reading quality"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book inspiring, with one review noting how it shows how people behave and relate under terrible circumstances.

"...This is an engaging and truly informative account of real events from a person who lived them. I highly recommend reading this incredible story." Read more

"...The book describes in a very personal way the experiences during conditions where people are gradually losing everything: relatives, friends,..." Read more

"Rising from the Shadow of the Sun is an inspiring, well-written story of survival, human suffering, and remarkable bravery during the World War II..." Read more

"What an inspirational and informative read!..." Read more

10 customers mention "Storytelling"10 positive0 negative

Customers find the book's storytelling compelling, with one customer describing it as a poignant tale of survival, while another notes its remarkable bravery.

"...- nay all of these strong women and children - for their strength, fortitude and will to not just live through this experience but to do so with..." Read more

"This is an amazing true story of an amazing woman, the author's mother .Our book group read this book and we were lucky enough to have..." Read more

"Rising from the shadow of the sun is an autobiography. The first part of the book is based on the diary which was kept by the mother of the author...." Read more

"...Ronny's account of the years following the war was perfect closure to this remarkable story...." Read more

6 customers mention "Narrative style"6 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the narrative style of the book, with one describing it as a richly detailed account of real events.

"...The tale is told beautifully here and with painstaking detail...." Read more

"...This is an engaging and truly informative account of real events from a person who lived them. I highly recommend reading this incredible story." Read more

"...This book offers a richly detailed account of one family's imprisonment in WWII Japanese concentration camps, provided through the surreptitious..." Read more

"...prison camps in the Dutch East Indies during WW2, this is a must for students of history...." Read more

3 customers mention "Courage"3 positive0 negative

Customers praise the mother's courage in protecting her children.

"...join our discussion .It is a wonderful story of a strong and courageous woman , Netty Herman, who was held for almost 4 years in a Japanese prison..." Read more

"...The strength and courage to protect her children and to give them as normal a life as possible is remarkable...." Read more

"...However, this is also a story of a family... the courage of a mother who protected her children, and their survival following their grueling..." Read more

3 customers mention "Readability"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the book to be a great read.

"...It reminded me in some ways of that wonderful movie "A Beautiful LIfe."..." Read more

"...It’s a great read and I highly recommend it." Read more

"I loved the book and learned things about Japan during the war that were previously unknown to me." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • It’s Me Eileen
    5.0 out of 5 stars Excellently written and touching story
    Reviewed in the United States on July 17, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Rising from the Shadow of the Sun by Ms DeJong is truly a must-read for anyone who doesnt know or would like to further understand what our family calls the Pacific Holocaust. The author herself gives her first person perspective and account and also works from the diary of her mother. This in itself is quite unique as being discovered keeping a diary of any sort would have led to severe punishment, torture and quite possibly death.

    I cannot tell you how much I admire the strength of both the author and her mother - nay all of these strong women and children - for their strength, fortitude and will to not just live through this experience but to do so with dignity and humanity. The circumstances were certainly not humane and became more inhumane and tragic by the day. The tale is told beautifully here and with painstaking detail. Our family members were a bit younger and do not remember such detail so for me it was very touching to know how things began, how they progressed, the daily details and so forth. Mrs DeJong has filled in the many blanks for us and it is much appreciated.

    Thank God you all survived and are willing to share your story so that this and those lost will never be forgotten! We have a growing collection of book recounting the stories of survivors this is my favorite of several very well written books on the topic.
    One person found this helpful
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  • E LLOYD EVANS
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing true story
    Reviewed in the United States on December 21, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    This is an amazing true story of an amazing woman, the author's mother .Our book group read this book and we were lucky enough to have
    the author join our discussion .It is a wonderful story of a strong and courageous woman , Netty Herman, who was held for almost 4 years in a Japanese prison camp in Indonesia during WW II with her two young daughters aged 1 and 3 yrs at the beginning of their internment. The story was written using Netty's actual diary from those years starting when she first married and ending at the end of the war. Ronny then continues her story
    to the present time. Very little was known about the Japanese treatment of women and children during the war. This is an engaging and truly
    informative account of real events from a person who lived them. I highly recommend reading this incredible story.
    One person found this helpful
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  • els de jong
    5.0 out of 5 stars a touching story
    Reviewed in the United States on February 2, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Rising from the shadow of the sun is an autobiography. The first part of the book is based on the diary which was kept by the mother of the author. It tells the story of a Dutch woman and her two little daughters, who came under Japanese occupation in World War II.
    The book describes in a very personal way the experiences during conditions where people are gradually losing everything: relatives, friends, personal belongings, their freedom, their health and in the end their lives.
    What makes this book fascinating is that it shows how people behave and relate under these terrible circumstances.
    This is what numerous civilians experience in times of war, and this is one of those few stories which are preserved by writing it down. In this respect it is an anti war document.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • solo
    5.0 out of 5 stars Understated elegance
    Reviewed in the United States on July 9, 2013
    Verified Purchase
    I just finished reading Ronny's book and am struggling for words to express my reaction. Her mother's diary, describing the events in her life as the Japanese moved closer and closer had a tremendous impact on me, perhaps because there is no panic in her writing, just an attempt to describe what was happening and how it was affecting her family. The strength and courage to protect her children and to give them as normal a life as possible is remarkable. It reminded me in some ways of that wonderful movie "A Beautiful LIfe." And, as others have stated, it has educated me regarding an aspect of WWII of which I had been completely unaware.

    Ronny's account of the years following the war was perfect closure to this remarkable story.

    The book also reminded me of my own mother's memoir, written during the last couple of years before she died, about life as a child in the years prior to the Russian Revolution. I can't wait to read it again. Thanks, Ronny.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • Boudewyn
    4.0 out of 5 stars Suffering and survival on Java
    Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    "Rising from the Shadow of the Sun" starts with the wartime diary of her mother but continues the post war saga of her family. Some of the worst wartime conditions were suffered by those imprisoned in East and Central Java. Ronny's story, in part auto-biographical, describes in moving language the unimaginable suffering of interned mothers with children. The end of the war did not bring peace to Java but a new, murderous episode in the Indonesian struggle for independence, and caused the newly re-united family to crisscross this war-torn island during a desperate and failed attempt to re-establish a pre-war society. The story ends, where so many WWII refugee stories end--in the New World, in her case as a young adult, in the United States.
    Herman's book paints a vivid picture of the metaphorical Japanese tsunami that overran a large part of Asia during World War II leaving in its devastating wake, a broken society and civil debris, some of its survivors becoming human flotsam and jetsam restlessly seeking a new home on this earth.
    3 people found this helpful
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  • David Busser
    5.0 out of 5 stars It’s a great read and I highly recommend it
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    Rising from the Shadow of the Sun is an inspiring, well-written story of survival, human suffering, and remarkable bravery during the World War II Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. Ronny Herman de Jong was just a child when the war arrived in what is now Indonesia. She, along with her mother and sister, endured incredible hardship at the hands of her captors, and her poignant account of her experiences is a vivid reminder of the misery people are capable of enduring, and also the misery people are capable of dispensing. It’s a great read and I highly recommend it.
    One person found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Ursula Kaligis
    4.0 out of 5 stars Rising from the shadow of the sun
    Reviewed in Germany on April 2, 2012
    Verified Purchase
    Rising from the shadow of the sun ist die Autobiographie von Netty die in der damaligen holländischen Kolonie Nederlands Indie (heute Indonesia) mit ihren zwei kleinen Töchtern in einem japanischen K.Z interniert war.Es ist die Geschichte einer starken und mutigen Frau die probiert unter sehr schwierigen Umständen sich und ihre Kinder am Leben zu erhalten.
    Eine faszinierende Geschichte die mir viel Neues über den Zweiten Weltkrieg in Asien erzšhlt.
    Sehr lesenswert!
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  • Ilse Erwig-Bartels
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Story of Love Survival and Joy was enlightening for me
    Reviewed in Canada on August 23, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    A Spirit of Optimism Transcending Nightmarish Events
    Rising from the Shadow of the Sun, A Story of Love Survival and Joy was enlightening for me. It consists of two main parts.
    Part 1 In the Shadow of the Sun
    I've been there. The author's initiative to publish her mother's journal opened a window on ordinary events and places at an extraordinary time. The language shows compassion for her children and the courage to keep them safe while trying to ignore her personal hardships. It kept its tension to the end, which makes for good reading. I have been there although not in the same place. I looked at that time through the eyes of a small child. It is enlightening to read about life in the camps as told through the eyes of an adult. If my mother had written a journal as letters to her parents, would I have understood better why I had to be exposed to life at its most abnormal? Perhaps. In the Shadow of the Sun has brought me closer to my mother, more so now that she has passed away. I would have loved to talk with her about this splendid book and compare her experiences with those of Ronny's mam.

    Part 2 Rising from the Shadow of the Sun
    The author has followed up with mother Herman's journal and her personal life afterwards. My impression is that it enforces her mother's values impressed on Ronny while growing up in a confusing world, when she was taken along the post-war stream of political conflict, the new culture of her Dutch fatherland, and her life as an adult and mother herself. The writing is easy and there is a spirit of optimism throughout the book that transcends the nightmarish events of her youth. It leaves a feeling of triumph. I can highly recommend this book.
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  • LeRoy Erickson
    5.0 out of 5 stars This is a wonderful yet heart wrenching story
    Reviewed in Canada on April 15, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    I have just finished reading Rising From The Shadow of the Sun. This is a wonderful yet heart wrenching story. I had no idea of the Japanese atrocities in the Dutch East Indies, but should have expected them given the cruelties they committed in China. This book helps in understanding the civilian experience of Japanese POW camps as compared to the military camps described in "Unbroken". There are many parallels.

    The authors"s mother sets an example by which to live, especially in terrible times. It sounds as though neither the mother nor her two little girls would have survived without her positive attitude, spirit of cooperation, resourcefulness and faith in God. She must have been a wonderful person!

    The author has followed in her mother's footsteps, and she has made a lot more steps by translating and publishing her mother's secret diary for the whole world to read! I really enjoyed the way in which the author presented the story, weaving her father's war-time experiences through her mother's camp experiences along the same timeline. She is a very talented writer. We have ordered more copies for gifts to relatives and friends.
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