For ten-year-old Sylvie Sambuck, Singapore seems a long way from the fighting of the Second World War. However the advancing Japanese army soon leads to a mass evacuation of the island but, as Sylvie's family begins to board their ship, there is no sign of Sylvie. Somehow, in the confusion, Sylvie finds refuge with her governess, Virginia Chen. But neither Virginia nor her family believe they will escape the Japanese internment camps, where Virginia may have to pay the ultimate price for Sylvie's survival.
Wendy Robertson grew up in the North of England, one of four children whose widowed mother, an ex-nurse, worked in a factory. A full-time writer since 1989, Wendy has also run a writing group and workshops for new writers, and has been Writer In Residence at Long Newton Prison.
'A spellbinding story - you'll find it hard to put down'
Sunderland Echo
'It's a gripping story, well told and very atmospheric...As always, Wendy excels at portraying ordinary people thrown into extraordinary circumstances...Once again Wendy has written a compelling story with plenty to think about'
The Northern Echo