Posted by CBethM on August 1, 2023 in Author Posts, Book News | Leave a comment
Q&A with author Lucille Abendanon
Q: What inspired you to write this book?
A: A lifetime of conversations with my Oma, Emmy who survived the infamous Tjideng prisoner of war camp in Batavia, Dutch East Indies in WW2. We were very close, and she would tell me about her life in Batavia before the war and in Tjideng as a prisoner of war. She was so generous with her memories, and was happy to talk about those dark days. When I was living in Vietnam, I traveled to Indonesia to find Tjideng. It was incredibly moving, I write about it in my author’s note. House Two, where she lived, is still there.
Q: What were the biggest challenges you faced writing this book?
A: Honestly? Three children, multiple Covid lockdowns and renovating a farmhouse in the English countryside. A lack of time! Tiling bathrooms is an excellent way to work through plot holes though. This book has been in my head for at least fifteen years, I just didn’t know what form it would take. When we relocated from The Netherlands to the UK, and the kids were all at school, I finally had the time to get the story from my head on to paper.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from this book?
A: I hope readers enjoy a rollicking good story, and root for Emmy, Bakti and Violet as they each face their own very different challenges. I would love it if readers feel that they’ve learned something about prisoner of war camps in Asia during WW2. In describing Tjideng, the daily routines, jobs, and living conditions, I have stayed very close to Oma’s lived experience, and my research…except the escape. Oma dreamed of escaping in the fruit van, but never attempted it!
I hope children who have immigrated or moved houses or states will resonate with Emmy’s quest for belonging. Most middle grade WW2 stories are set in England or Europe, and so I hope readers enjoy the tropical setting of Indonesia. It’s different, but wonderful!
Q: What is your favorite quote, scene, or moment from your book?
A: Oh so many! I adore the scene between Emmy and Bakti under the rambutan tree. It’s the emotional turning point of the story, and is so sad, so poignant as the two best friends are set on opposing paths. It was wonderful to write. I love Mr Yukoshima’s wise words at the beginning when Emmy is grappling with the threat of a Japanese invasion and what it means for her. He says, “People like you and I will only ever be guests here.” Growing up and living between cultures is such a big part of my life, I love that Emmy struggles between craving roots but needing wings. I cried when I wrote the ending, but I don’t want to give it away!
Author’s Note on Cover
I always knew the rambutan tree scene would be perfect on the front cover of The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree, and am so thrilled Millie Liu has interpreted it in such a meaningful way. This scene, with Bakti high up in the branches (representing his moral high ground), and Emmy down below (representing how far she is about to fall from her privileged life) is the emotional turning point of the novel. This is where the unthinkable happens, where two worlds collide and the truth is unveiled. It is where best friends are set upon wildly different paths. There are so many hidden meanings in the cover: the songbird, the way Bakti is looking at the Japanese bomber planes, the barbed wire. I have a feeling that the cover will mean something entirely different to the reader after finishing the book! The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree is ultimately a story of hope, and I absolutely love the way Millie has captured this in the light. It beams out from the Japanese flag of war, touching Emmy’s back, and radiating off the rambutan tree’s trunk. It represents the book’s core message, that even in the depths of darkness when all seems lost, there is always hope.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Lucille Abendanon has always lived a life on the move. When she was twelve, she swapped the English countryside for the tropical east coast of South Africa. Since then, she has been fortunate to call many places home—from the magic of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam, to the wonders of Bangkok; from the minarets of Istanbul to the canals of the Netherlands. She now lives back in the United Kingdom with her husband, three boys, and three chickens beneath the branches of an ancient oak. She has three nationalities, which makes the question “where are you from?” difficult to answer. Lucille holds an MA in International Studies, and when she’s not writing books, she writes about living abroad and raising multicultural kids on the move. The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree is her debut novel and is inspired by a lifetime of conversations with her Oma Emmy, who was a prisoner of war in the Tjideng internment camp during World War II.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Batavia, Dutch East Indies, 1942.
Emmy has the voice of an angel but hasn’t sung a note since her mother’s tragic death. Instead, Emmy’s primary concerns are to enjoy adventures with her Javanese friend, Bakti; to avoid interacting with her snooty Dutch classmate, Violet; and to convince her father to let her stay in Batavia instead of shipping her off to singing school in England. Then the Japanese army invades Batavia—and as war erupts in the Dutch East Indies, Emmy’s world falls apart.
When her own actions sabotage her family’s chance to evacuate the island, Emmy is captured and confined in the Tjideng prisoner-of-war camp with other women and children. Separated from her family and friends, and silenced by her grief, Emmy will need all her strength to survive the war, find her voice, and reclaim her freedom.
Release date: January 23, 2024
Hoặc