Sapphire Promise, Sally Brandle
Sapphire Promise, Sally Brandle
List: $11.50 | Sale: $8.05
Club: $5.75

Sapphire Promise
Based on a true story of loyalty, trust, and unfailing love

Author: Sally Brandle

Narrator: Justine Eyre

Unabridged: 8 hr 58 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 12/01/2021

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

Loyalty to family. Trusting instincts. The will to survive. These virtues are deeply embedded in a mature Dutch teenager, Annika Wolter. Her attributes prove useful as she navigates typical coming-of-age insecurities and a blossoming romance with a handsome lieutenant in 1939 Batavia, Java.
Nothing prepares her for the distress of Hitler's attacks on European countries followed by Japan's bombing of Pearl Harbor, toppling her idyllic life in the Dutch East Indies colonial society and separating her from the man she loves. Uplifting events from a true story showcase how determination, nursing basics, and language skills keep a young woman and her mother alive in the worst Japanese internment camp in the Pacific. If you admire clever women and unfailing love in a tropical wartime setting, you will be captivated by Sapphire Promise.
Here's what readers are saying:
"Annika's story is so amazing, I had to keep reminding myself it is true. She was a woman before her time in her determination and perseverance." Amazon reader
"This coming-of-age story occurs during a time of great turbulence. The author takes such care in reminding the reader about what it means to be human, love, care, survive, and heal." Jamie Stern-Member at Large, Director of Research, The Indo Project
"Brandle's exhaustive research coupled with her natural storytelling abilities combine to give us a complex, entertaining, and powerful tale." Amazon Reader
"I'm excited to share the compelling story of The Sapphire Promise with my book group! The study questions at the end will ensure a lively, thoughtful discussion of this fascinating memoir." Beta reader

Reviews

Goodreads review by N.N. on March 23, 2022

This review is for the audiobook. Summary – Nothing will stop Annika Wolter from living her dreams, not even war and imprisonment at the hands of the Japanese. In this riveting, based on true events, historical fiction story, Sally Brandle takes the reader into the heart of a young Dutch woman named A......more

Goodreads review by Cyrene on January 01, 2023

I’ve actually had this book read for a bit, but I think it took a while for me to digest this book well enough to write a review. This book is not like anything I’ve read, and mind you, I don’t read biographies or even war era books often and I know this is all based on a true story. The amount of r......more

Goodreads review by CarolKat on May 21, 2021

I have always been a bit of a history buff and when you take that history and add to it a true life romance it's an unbeatable combination. This book takes us on a journey through the eyes of Annika Wolters, with a view the pre-war island of Java and the life during and after WWII. The book opens wit......more

Goodreads review by Malena on May 09, 2021

Annika's story - a memoir set in biographical novel form - is a powerful read from beginning to end. There's something here for pretty much every reader: Wartime romance; WW2 and early 20th century military history; YA coming of age; Pacific Island culture and ethnic food ways; history, politics, an......more

Goodreads review by Valri on May 11, 2021

This story was truly amazing! Better yet, it's a true story! I was reeled in from the very beginning and had a hard time putting it down. The courage of Annika and all she went through touched my heart and soul. I will never forget her. I didn't know the story of the Dutch East Indies at all during......more