Humorous story of adjustments to life in Borneo, by a Californian.
Borneo TrilogySeries
This autobiographical trilogy offers an intimate look at life in North Borneo, modern-day Sabah, during the turbulent period before, during, and after World War II. The author sensitively captures the transformations of the landscape and society, revealing personal experiences and recounting stories of resilience and adaptation. Readers will immerse themselves in the region's history and culture through compelling personal testimonies. This is fascinating reading for those interested in history, travel, and powerful human stories.
Recommended Reading Order
- 1
- 2
When the Japanese swept through Borneo in 1942, Agnes Keith was captured with her two-year-old son. Even though keeping notes was a capital offence, she wrote a diary on the backs of labels and in the margins of old newspapers, which she buried in tins or sewed inside her sons home-made toys. Unlike many other narrators of camp life, Agnes Keith gives an honest and rounded description of her Japanese captors. The camp commander, Colonel Suga, was responsible for a forced march which killed all but three out of 2,970 prisoners; yet he regularly took children for joy-rides in his car, stuffing them with sweets, and sent them back to camp with armfuls of flowers from his garden
