Letters Across the Sea by Genevieve Graham (best short novels of all time txt) 📗

doctors of the time had experience dealing with tropical parasites, and since the POWs had gained back most of their weight by their return, thanks to the American care packages, the doctors didn’t think to worry about starvation.

All this was made much more difficult by the fact that the men were so traumatized by what they’d survived, they often chose not to tell anyone about their experiences, so their doctors saw little need to follow up. As a result, many veterans didn’t have medical records to prove that the increasing health problems they experienced over the years stemmed from their incarceration and maltreatment.

For decades following their return, the dwindling number of veterans battled the Canadian government to demand compensation and an apology from the Japanese, but they heard only crickets. In fact, the Canadian government legally absolved Japan of any financial responsibility in 1952. Over fifty years later, the Japanese prime minister expressed “deep remorse” and stated “heartfelt apologies” to the people who suffered in World War II, but he did not specify the Allied POWs. Finally in 2011, Japan’s Parliamentary Vice Minister for Foreign Affairs issued an apology to the POWs.

When it became obvious that the veterans were passing away so quickly there would no longer be anyone left to tell their story, a group of their sons and daughters established the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association, a registered charity, in 1995. They lobbied for better pensions, benefits, and compensation. Because of their efforts, in December 1998, the Canadian government granted compensation of $24,000 to each surviving Hong Kong POW or POW’s widow. The association also pushed for greater recognition for the veterans and education about their experiences, and in 2009, more than sixty years after the men returned home, they erected a memorial wall in Ottawa. Sadly, by then, most were dead.

As for Sergeant Gander, in 2001 he was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal for Gallantry by the People’s Dispensary for Sick Animals (essentially the Victoria Cross for animals) and the twenty surviving members of his regiment attended the ceremony. His medal is now on display at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, and his name is listed on the memorial wall along with the other slain Canadians.

Letters Across the Sea began as a novel about the Christie Pits Riot. In the years following that event, many of the same men who had come to blows in Toronto fell against a common enemy and were buried side by side, Jews and Gentiles together. On Remembrance Day each year, we honour those who gave their lives so that we might live ours. The men who not only fought at the Battle of Hong Kong, but also endured forty-four months as prisoners of war at the hands of the Japanese, came home and were largely forgotten. Their story is not taught, and it is barely told except by their children and grandchildren. Learning about these men has added another dimension to that day of remembrance for me, and I hope it has for you as well.

Acknowledgments

First of all, this book never would have become what it is without the brilliant, dedicated, and creative work of my incredible editor, Sarah St. Pierre. I can’t say that enough. This was the most difficult book I’ve ever written, and she was instrumental in helping me find the story within all the pages and pages of research. We were partners through it all.

Thank you to the generous Jewish readers Nicole, Cori, and Merle for sharing their time and cultural expertise, and to suspense author extraordinaire and fellow Simon & Schuster Canada author, Samantha Bailey, for helping me out with my ongoing Jewish queries! The author community is truly a wonderful place to live, where everyone helps each other.

There’s a lot you can learn online via websites, but nothing beats personal connections. The moment I posted on the official Facebook page of the Hong Kong Veterans Commemorative Association of Canada, I wondered why I hadn’t headed there long before. Just like with the British Home Children descendants I talked to for The Forgotten Home Child, I discovered people who are passionate about learning and teaching the history of the Battle of Hong Kong and the subsequent prisoner of war camps where the brave men of Canada’s C Force spent so many horrible years. The members of that page, most of whom are the children and grandchildren of the soldiers, are determined not to let the sacrifices of the Canadians in Hong Kong be ignored or forgotten. When I asked for personal stories, I received messages and emails right away, full of information about and letters from their dads and granddads. They’re still coming in, but I would like in particular to thank Lincoln Keays, and salute his father, Rifleman Richard Keays, as well as Judy James, Wendy Jarvin, and Mona Thornton, who helped me see into their fathers’ lives. Wendy and her friend Wilma were keen to point out that, just like with the British Home Children and Canada’s residential school system, those who returned from the POW camps had deep scars that affected future generations. Intergenerational trauma is a very real, very underestimated issue, and I’m glad that it is finally being recognized, at least for some.

Thank you to Em Gamelin and Sarah Glassford from the Canadian Red Cross Archives for helping me with research on the precious Canadian Red Cross POW parcels—very few of which ever made it to the actual POWs, since they were mostly taken and often sold by the Japanese guards.

I already mentioned my editor Sarah (her name bears repeating!), but I also need to thank the talented and enthusiastic team behind me at Simon & Schuster Canada. President Kevin Hanson has a wonderful group of experts, including publicist Mackenzie Croft, marketing associate Allie Boelsterli, cover designer Elizabeth Whitehead, director of sales Shara Alexa, sales rep Sherry Lee, and the manager of library and special sales Lorraine Kelly, all of whom babysit me beautifully and make