Removed from the life he had known, Jeremiah Prins is placed in an internment camp by the Japanese. Forced from his life of privilege, he must now protect his family from more than tough living conditions. He, and his friends, must rely on God for the strength to survive in Thief of Glory.

Sigmund Brouwer writes about people who are forced to live as prisoners during World War II, and how they deal with the changes that brings. Using some of his family’s history, he paints a picture of what it was like for the Dutch in the Dutch East Indies after the area was seized by the Japanese. He does a great job of describing what happened so that you can imagine both the people and places.

With all that, he also includes the message of forgiveness, both of others and yourself. Trusting in God is prominent throughout the story, and expressed by many characters. Personal sacrifice by many characters allow others to survive, and this is often done without thanks. Many times, it wasn’t even known until later.

Even though it describes the horrible conditions in the area during the war, Thief of Glory does not condemn people groups as a whole. It shows that all involved could do things that were terrible, and that they were liable to regret later.

I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.

For more information:

About the book

First chapter

About the author