Nevil Shute’s most beloved novel, a tale of love and war, follows its enterprising heroine from the Malayan jungle during World War II to the rugged Australian outback.Jean Paget, a young Englishwoman living in Malaya, is captured by the invading Japanese and forced on a brutal seven-month death march with dozens of other women and children. A few years after the war, Jean is back in England, the … England, the nightmare behind her. However, an unexpected inheritance inspires her to return to Malaya to give something back to the villagers who saved her life. But it turns out that they have a gift for her as well: the news that the young Australian soldier, Joe Harmon, who had risked his life to help the women, had miraculously survived. Jean’s search for Joe leads her to a desolate Australian outpost called Willstown, where she finds a challenge that will draw on all the resourcefulness and spirit that carried her through her war-time ordeals.
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My favorite author. One of my favorite books!!
I stumbled upon this book because I have lived in Australia. It is based on a true person and real life event. The author uses his license to make the story very readable and I couldn’t put it down! Jean and Joe become alive in the authors telling, as well as the narrator, Noel. It a book I hated to finish! I will definitely recommend it to my …
Well written, memorable characters, interesting storyline….hated it to end.
A fictionalized version of a real episode of World War 2 history. A great read, great character development, and very inspiring.
Great interpersonal novel. Vivid depiction of characters and places. A look at a side of war that is unexpected.
So well written! Realistic and well researched. It’s a great story.
Very dated and oddly dry. A good story for the first half then got rather dull.
First read this in the 60’s (after appreciating Shute’s No Highway) and it became one of my all time favorite novels. Unusual and exceptional personal history of two people caught up in the maelstrom of WWII in Malaya who, against all odds, survived the pain and sorrows inflicted on them and survived to find each other again some years after. It …
Enjoyed this book very much. Excellent WWII drama.
Read this book.
A Town Like Alice is a wonderful book, set during and after World War II, in Malaya and Australia, and parts of England. I could not put it down. I saw the miniseries before I read the book, and the book is even better because there is more time to develop the characters. Not to be missed!!
Wonderful story, in spite of the racist attitude of the 1940’s.
I have loved this book for the 3rd time. Well written, interesting characters, compelling story line.
one of my favorite aussie post war books. got hooked on it after seeing the pbs version in the 90’s. a poignant tale of love lost and found, and a woman willing to go the distance to adapt to a new life with the man she loves.
Have read this book many times. The ordeals and tragedies that these people survived is amazing. The romantic side was at times hilarious and always real. Always good to see a brainy woman with can-do spirit who doesn’t need to compare herself to other women who are not. She gets things done without fanfare. The movie was equal to the book.
This is a book I enjoy rereading after 10-15 years. Also enjoyed audio book. Strong character creation.
I saw the movie and loved the characters. Then I found the book…it was wonderful, the characters were fleshed out to living, breathing people that I was rooting for the whole story. Set in WWII in the Pacific about an English girl and an Australian soldier and their story of losing each other and finding each other and the changes they made in …
This was a fun read!
One of the best books ever – based on true events!
I read this book about 30 years ago. Loved it and therefore bought it. Haven’t read it recently.