Paula Greenlees - The Forgotten Promise

Paula Greenlees - The Forgotten Promise 

4.5⭐

Genre: Historical Fiction, Fiction, WW2 

Pages: 400

Format: e-book

Publisher:  Penguin Books

Date Published: 1st September 2022 (e-book), 29th December 2022 (Paperback) 

 

Big thanks to the author Paula Greenlees and Penguin Books for sending me an e-book copy of this book to read and review. 

Book Blurb: 

Malaya, 1920: Two girls make a promise in the shadows of the jungle. A promise that life won't let them easily keep.

Malaya, 1941: Ella is running her late father's tin mine in the Kledang hills, while Noor works as her cook.
When the war that felt so far away suddenly arrives on their doorstep, Ella is torn apart from her family. Her daughter Grace is left in Noor's care as Japanese soldiers seize the mine.

Ella is forced to make an impossible choice that takes her to England, thousands of miles from home. She is desperate to be reunited with her loved ones. But will the life she returns to be anything like the life she left behind?

My Review: 

Paula Greenlees did it again! Such a beautifully written book about a war-torn family. I loved this book even more than I loved Journey to Paradise! Greenlees writes in such a vivid and beautiful way that not only shows the beauty of the book setting but also makes the reader easily fall in love with the characters and their personalities. Each of the characters is so perfectly crafted and developed. Honestly, I was so sad when I finished this book and it took me a few days to pick another one. Also, it’s not only the characters but also the horrible reality of war and the captivating storyline with strong female leads that makes this book stand out for me.

The story follows Ella and her family in Malaya. We first see her as a little girl in the 1920s, when she makes a friendship pact with her then-best friend Noor to always look out for each other. Fast forward to 1940 and Ella is married with two children, as well as has inherited a large property and a mine. Her life is very comfortable, she has kids that she adores and a husband that loves her very much. Noor’s life, however, has not changed much, she is a cook at Ella’s house and looks after Ella’s children. They aren’t best friends anymore and basically, they are worlds apart.  

However, soon Ella’s life is turned upside down. WW2 breaks out in Asia when the Japanese bombs Pearl Harbour and subsequently take control of Malaya and Singapore. Ella managed to escape Malaya with her newborn son but has to reluctantly leave her husband and daughter behind. Ella comes back to the UK, to Oxfordshire, where her husband’s parents take her in. All connections with a home in Malaya are lost and Ella doesn’t know what happened to her husband and daughter. Thus, she tries to build a life in England, whilst holding onto hope that both of her loved ones are alive. In Malaya, however, the Japanese move into Ella’s house and take over control. Ella’s husband disappeared and Noor does everything she can to protect Ella’s daughter from the Japanese. Both women are fighting their own battles at opposite ends of the world, only remembering a promise they had made to each other years ago.

I loved Noor. She is so strong and brave. She takes in Ella’s daughter and looks after her like she is her own. She also stands up for herself after the war, even though she is tired and drained and lost everything. Noor fights for what is right and she fights for both her and Ella’s daughter. She grew so much in this book. I liked Ella’s character too, but I felt that at times she could have coped better, but I guess it is because of her upbringing. She was used to a very privileged life before the war and it was quite hard for her to adjust. Even at the end of the book, I didn’t feel like Ella grew as much as Noor.

For me, the only thing that was missing between these two main characters, was them having a conversation and talking about everything, especially their friendship at the end of the book. It felt like their friendship and promise were supposed to be one of the main messages of this book but at the very end, I didn’t feel like their friendship was discussed or displayed enough.

I liked the storyline and all the very human emotions that each of the characters has gone through in this book. I also enjoyed that this book touched upon very important subjects, such as belonging, especially in the case of Ella feeling like she doesn’t belong in England. Also, themes of loss and grief, being in the unknown and at the same time trying to build your life back together. All of these were included in the book so well.

Overall: I loved this book. Paula Greenlees's writing is brilliant. She makes her characters so strong and likeable, as well as her storylines, hook you in straight away. If you love historical fiction and historical fiction that is set in WW2 with strong female leads, this book is a perfect choice. Can’t wait to see what Paula writes next! 

About the Author:

Paula Greenlees has lived in various places, including Singapore, where she was based for three years. It was while living in Singapore that the first seeds of her debut novel, Journey to Paradise developed. The crumbling buildings and the modern high-rises popping up almost overnight seemed to be a metaphor for the social diversity and change in Singapore at that time. However, as a young mother living there, she wondered what it must have been like as a post-war colonial wife living miles away from the familiarity of home. Despite the gloss and glamour of colonial living, women were frequently stuck in unhappy marriages, often unable to follow careers or have the independence to divorce if things went wrong – which they inevitably did.

Her writing, although set against exotic backgrounds, is set on the cusp of change – the shift from colonial dominance to independence. She likes to dig into a variety of issues, and her main protagonist is, in many ways, a metaphor for the events surrounding her at that time. It isn’t always an easy journey, but in the end, success comes her way.

https://www.paulagreenlees.com/