Thief of Glory

War. Love at first sight. Rivalry. Human nature. Art. Brouwer (Broken Angel) weaves timeless themes into the story of a 70-year journey toward redemption. In 1942, Japanese soldiers invaded Java, an island in what was then the Dutch East Indies (now Indonesia), taking men from the ruling class to use as slave labor and incarcerating the women and children. A Dutch headmaster’s 12-year-old son, Jeremiah Prins, is left to help his younger siblings and their emotionally troubled mother survive. An extremely intelligent boy, he proves courageous and resourceful, but those qualities are not enough to overcome the wartime despair and devastation. Decades after the war, as secrets from that chapter of his life threaten his family’s current security and happiness, Jeremiah searches for peace, remembering old enemies and old loves. He recounts his life’s story in a series of journals, describing events and people from the war and reflecting on his resultant emotional and spiritual states. Thorough historical research, skillful use of foreshadowing, and keen insight into the human spirit make this one of Brouwer’s best. (Aug.)