"A childhood mistake. A lifetime of regrets" reads the cover blurb referencing the protagonist, Jenni a ghostwriter of typical celebrity autobiographies, who is asked out of the blue to ghost for an elderly lady whose childhood was spent interred in a Japanese POW camp on Java.
The premise here is good and allows for two parallel stories to run through the novel. Firstly Klara's memoir that Jenni is asked to hear. From her retirement in Cornwall Klara vividly recalls the historical detail of the period of time she and her family spent under Japanese rule in Dutch East India.
Concurrently the experience of ghosting Klara's story brings Jenni face to face with her own past and a childhood tragedy from which she has been unable to move on. Unsurprisingly, Jenni's difficult past creates issues itself in her relationship with boyfriend Ric.
The stronger part of the novel is Klara's account of her time in Java. The historical accuracy with which Wolff brings the war in the Pacific to life is expressive and lucid. The trouble is that the prose lacks a grit and realism that, however difficult to read, would have been more appropriate. At times the reader is left to draw conclusions which could have been more vividly explored.
Similarly, the memory which Jenni has spent so long trying to repress ends up being quite unrewarding. Although the emotion is sincere and raw the language doesn't quite do justice to the honesty of the story Wolff really wants to tell.
More pedestrian than a gripping page turner but thoroughly readable non the less. Anyone interested in picking this novel up should keep a close eye out on the Bakerloo line - my copy was left at Marylebone!
Keep up the good work Books on the Underground.
