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The Harbour
It is the summer of 1940, and for Stevie Steiber, a young American journalist in Hong Kong, the war raging in Europe is a world away. While longing to be taken seriously as a writer, she keeps her readers informed about society gossip from the Orient, her days at the Happy Valley race-course slipping into dangerous, hedonistic nights.
Major Harry Field has been charged by Her Majesty's Government with investigating suspicious activity inside the colony. He is intrigued by the recent arrival of Jishang, a sophisticated Chinese publisher who owns a controversial political magazine. But it is Stevie, Jishang's outspoken, beautiful correspondent who really fascinates him.
As the decadent British contingent remain oblivious to the cataclysm nearly upon them, the spy and the journalist are obsessively drawn to one another. And when the Japanese army seizes the island, they are faced with terrifying challenges. What will they sacrifice to stay alive, and how far will they go to protect each other? The Harbour is a stunning and utterly compelling debut about war, love and betrayal.
Major Harry Field has been charged by Her Majesty's Government with investigating suspicious activity inside the colony. He is intrigued by the recent arrival of Jishang, a sophisticated Chinese publisher who owns a controversial political magazine. But it is Stevie, Jishang's outspoken, beautiful correspondent who really fascinates him.
As the decadent British contingent remain oblivious to the cataclysm nearly upon them, the spy and the journalist are obsessively drawn to one another. And when the Japanese army seizes the island, they are faced with terrifying challenges. What will they sacrifice to stay alive, and how far will they go to protect each other? The Harbour is a stunning and utterly compelling debut about war, love and betrayal.
335 pages, Kindle Edition
First published June 7, 2012
16 people are currently reading
177 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 36 reviews
July 5, 2019
Een kasteelromannetje. Zo voorspelbaar als het maar zijn kan.
September 9, 2012
When I first began to read The Harbour, I felt worried. That kind of worried feeling when you realise that you’re at a party and you know absolutely no-one. This book doesn’t muck around – it’s straight into the action. Stevie, the protagonist, is whisked away from a day at Happy Valley racecourse by her Chinese husband Jishang to meet a Chinese matriarch. Why does Stevie want to meet Madame Kung? Why is she in Hong Kong if she loves Shanghai so much?
Patience does pay off though and soon we learn that Stevie is a journalist, hankering to write deeper articles than a day at the races. With Jishang, she runs a political magazine. The more I learned about Stevie, the more I grew to admire her feistiness and her determination. She’s not a conventional heroine – she likes the opium pipe a little too much, but who can resist a girl who keeps a monkey as a pet because it came with the apartment?
Brill is brilliant (pun intended) at creating a spectacular, highly emotional story that twists at unconventional places. When Stevie meets Major Harry Field, it’s lust at first sight, despite his lonely marriage (and her one of convenience). They fall in love quickly, and Stevie is pregnant before we’re even halfway through the book. I admire Brill for having the guts to add a baby (Hal) to the remainder of the narrative. Likewise, the book doesn’t stop abruptly at the end of World War II but continues through the immediate post-war period. The Harbour is also interesting in that it doesn’t dwell on the atrocities occurring in Hong Kong at the time (though it certainly does portray them realistically and horrifically) but carries the strong theme of enduring love throughout.
The Harbour also contains great characters besides the charming but flawed Stevie – my favourite was Lilly, a cousin of Jishang, who is determined to make Stevie into a responsible being through shouting and screaming. Eventually the pair end up the best of friends. Harry is swoon-worthy (sorry Stevie), as he possesses a clever head on his shoulders, as well as an inside understanding of the Japanese. Declan, Stevie’s Irish journalist friend, is charming and turns up at just the right moments.
Brill’s use of language evokes rich scenes in my mind of the horror of Hong Kong after the invasion – Stevie’s desperation to buy powdered milk, others pawing through the rubble of apartment blocks to find loved ones all make me glad that (hopefully) that’s something I won’t have to experience. There were several nights where I thought to myself ‘just one more chapter’ and ended up reading well into the night.
A story of passion, emotion, survival and above all love, The Harbour was a fantastic debut. I’ll be waiting eagerly to see what Francesca Brill has in store next.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
Patience does pay off though and soon we learn that Stevie is a journalist, hankering to write deeper articles than a day at the races. With Jishang, she runs a political magazine. The more I learned about Stevie, the more I grew to admire her feistiness and her determination. She’s not a conventional heroine – she likes the opium pipe a little too much, but who can resist a girl who keeps a monkey as a pet because it came with the apartment?
Brill is brilliant (pun intended) at creating a spectacular, highly emotional story that twists at unconventional places. When Stevie meets Major Harry Field, it’s lust at first sight, despite his lonely marriage (and her one of convenience). They fall in love quickly, and Stevie is pregnant before we’re even halfway through the book. I admire Brill for having the guts to add a baby (Hal) to the remainder of the narrative. Likewise, the book doesn’t stop abruptly at the end of World War II but continues through the immediate post-war period. The Harbour is also interesting in that it doesn’t dwell on the atrocities occurring in Hong Kong at the time (though it certainly does portray them realistically and horrifically) but carries the strong theme of enduring love throughout.
The Harbour also contains great characters besides the charming but flawed Stevie – my favourite was Lilly, a cousin of Jishang, who is determined to make Stevie into a responsible being through shouting and screaming. Eventually the pair end up the best of friends. Harry is swoon-worthy (sorry Stevie), as he possesses a clever head on his shoulders, as well as an inside understanding of the Japanese. Declan, Stevie’s Irish journalist friend, is charming and turns up at just the right moments.
Brill’s use of language evokes rich scenes in my mind of the horror of Hong Kong after the invasion – Stevie’s desperation to buy powdered milk, others pawing through the rubble of apartment blocks to find loved ones all make me glad that (hopefully) that’s something I won’t have to experience. There were several nights where I thought to myself ‘just one more chapter’ and ended up reading well into the night.
A story of passion, emotion, survival and above all love, The Harbour was a fantastic debut. I’ll be waiting eagerly to see what Francesca Brill has in store next.
http://samstillreading.wordpress.com
February 5, 2017
Great book for this author's debut. At first it seemed like it could turn into another corny love story but it managed to keep away from this. Very well researched and based on true stories. Although awful, putting the main character through some of the worst experiences of war in Hong Kong was truly captivating and I certainly learnt a lot about that particular dark patch in history.
October 23, 2013
Really great book.
February 23, 2019
Whilst a little slow to start, it was clear that Brill had created a very believable historical setting in Hong Kong prior to, and following, the Japanese invasion. The central character, Stevie Steiner, was not always a sympathetic character for me, but nonetheless she demonstrated some strength to survive in a conflict that took so many lives, and significantly harmed her own and those she loved. As a former history teacher the brutality of some of the scenes was not unexpected, but still were very shockingly graphic. Not a book for the faint-hearted but one I was pleased to have finally taken off my shelves and read.
September 9, 2023
I so nearly stopped reading early on when one of the characters got out of a car 'unfolding his limbs like a sea anemone.' Oh, please!
However, it was a really good read. The characters all well-formed with twists and turns, maybe not so likeable at times but that all helps a novel along. I learned more about WW2 in Hong Kong than I had learned before and, although the romance running through it could be a little more Mills & Boon than I would have liked at times, I did enjoy this debut novel.
However, it was a really good read. The characters all well-formed with twists and turns, maybe not so likeable at times but that all helps a novel along. I learned more about WW2 in Hong Kong than I had learned before and, although the romance running through it could be a little more Mills & Boon than I would have liked at times, I did enjoy this debut novel.
August 31, 2018
Fiction based on a true story, this interweaves actual historic events, the social history of late-empire ex-pat Britain and the personal stories of individuals caught up in war. I was a little concerned that the horrors of reality would somehow by-pass the heroine but the author included a gritty realism with the courage, perseverance and sheer dogged will to survive.
August 12, 2021
En términos generales me pareció una buena novela. Muy interesante la época y el lugar donde se desarrolla. Siempre me han gustado las novelas que aportan más que entretenimiento. Esta cumple, también tiene buenos personajes, pero si siento que en la trama y narración se queda un poco corta la escritora. Tiene algunos saltos poco afortunados, pero aún así, disfruté leyéndola.
August 22, 2012
It is summer of 1940 in Hong Kong and Stevie Steiber is a young American ex-pat on the island by way of Shanghai. A journalist, she has mostly written glitzty gossipy columns, keeping people updated on the glamorous days of Happy Valley racecourse. Now she is attempting to undertake a serious project – the story of three influential sisters. She has secured the co-operation of two, but the third one remains elusive until she gets word from her Chinese boyfriend that Stevie has finally been granted an audience. Stevie knows that this will be her only chance so she knows she needs to make an impression.
Major Harry Field is in Hong Kong on order of His Majesty’s Goverment to investigate suspicious activity – he is most interested in Chinese National Jishang Wu who is well known to own a political magazine. However Jishang’s own political opinions are not known and in his attempts to ascertain them, Field meets Jishang’s girlfriend, Stevie Steiber. He is immediately smitten, despite the trappings that complicate any sort of romantic entanglement. Nevertheless, nor he or Stevie can help themselves and after Jishang goes back to China, leaving Stevie to continue research for her book, they fall into an affair.
It seems that most are oblivious to the oncoming threat of the Japanese and when they take the island, everything is thrown into chaos. Harry is injured, hospitalised and then imprisoned. The conditions for Stevie, who won’t leave, are atrocious as the island slowly begins to starve. It becomes a battle of strength and wits just to stay alive, to find what they need to survive and to keep away from drawing the attention of some of the Japanese troops. Stevie is involved in a dangerous way and it could be the death of her and everything she holds dear.
The Harbour enables me to add a new setting to my list of places visited through literature this year – Hong Kong, or more precisely, 1940s Hong Kong. We open at Happy Valley racecourse, famous for it’s excellent facilities, top notch racing and the millions and millions the wagering Chinese turn over each meeting. Stevie is enjoying a day out when her boyfriend drags her away from the race meeting to meet with Madame Kung, the third and most elusive sister that she wishes to base her book around. From that meeting and after, we are given a glimpse into Stevie’s lifestyle, including nights spent in an opium den down on the harbour. It isn’t long until she meets Major Henry Field and the meeting changes her life in many ways.
Stevie was a character I found it hard to relate to for most of the book – I found it hard to put myself in her shoes, given her opium usage, casual relationship attitudes and standoffish attitude. And I found her interactions with Harry Field lacking in chemistry – I couldn’t really see this all-encompassing attraction and mostly their romance/obsession passed me by. However what I really did love about this book was the portrayal of Hong Kong, the wealthy contrasting beautifully with the slums. It was vibrant and alive, a mix of cultures, somewhere that sounded like a very interesting place in time.
The book is further strengthened when the Japanese take the island – the descriptions of the artillery fire and the looting, the dead, the attempts by Stevie and her friends to make the small amounts of money they have last as long as they can, the search for proper food and baby formula, something that is in short supply, is some truly wonderful writing. The pictures in my head were as vivid as if I were watching a movie depicting this story. I could see and feel Stevie’s desperation, her fear, her hunger and her sacrifice. Even though it seems that the novel is equally about the war and a stunning love story, for me the strength is all in the setting. Hong Kong is painted so well, the before and also the during. It showcases the ways in which life must go on, even under occupation and also the ways in which life can go terribly wrong. The love story within the pages never really did much for me, I didn’t feel connected to Harry and Stevie and their love for one another seemed to have developed out of no where. They were both attached when they began their affair and seemed to both have callous disregard for their partners. In Stevie’s case, her relationship with Jishang was hard to fathom: casual and without strings, he seems unconcerned when he hears of her attachment to Field, well after the fact. But Field is a slightly different situation and I did find the circumstances a little less than romantic.
In all, The Harbour has some very strong points and I enjoyed the read immensely, both because of the quality of the writing and the uniqueness of the setting to me. It’s always nice to learn something as well as get a good story and I tend to gravitate towards books that depict events that have occurred in history due to my appalling lack of knowledge. It’s in reading that I’ve really come to realise how lax my high school was in teaching the important events in history and the various cultures of the world. If you’re looking for a story that showcases a wonderful setting through a difficult time then this book should satisfy.
Major Harry Field is in Hong Kong on order of His Majesty’s Goverment to investigate suspicious activity – he is most interested in Chinese National Jishang Wu who is well known to own a political magazine. However Jishang’s own political opinions are not known and in his attempts to ascertain them, Field meets Jishang’s girlfriend, Stevie Steiber. He is immediately smitten, despite the trappings that complicate any sort of romantic entanglement. Nevertheless, nor he or Stevie can help themselves and after Jishang goes back to China, leaving Stevie to continue research for her book, they fall into an affair.
It seems that most are oblivious to the oncoming threat of the Japanese and when they take the island, everything is thrown into chaos. Harry is injured, hospitalised and then imprisoned. The conditions for Stevie, who won’t leave, are atrocious as the island slowly begins to starve. It becomes a battle of strength and wits just to stay alive, to find what they need to survive and to keep away from drawing the attention of some of the Japanese troops. Stevie is involved in a dangerous way and it could be the death of her and everything she holds dear.
The Harbour enables me to add a new setting to my list of places visited through literature this year – Hong Kong, or more precisely, 1940s Hong Kong. We open at Happy Valley racecourse, famous for it’s excellent facilities, top notch racing and the millions and millions the wagering Chinese turn over each meeting. Stevie is enjoying a day out when her boyfriend drags her away from the race meeting to meet with Madame Kung, the third and most elusive sister that she wishes to base her book around. From that meeting and after, we are given a glimpse into Stevie’s lifestyle, including nights spent in an opium den down on the harbour. It isn’t long until she meets Major Henry Field and the meeting changes her life in many ways.
Stevie was a character I found it hard to relate to for most of the book – I found it hard to put myself in her shoes, given her opium usage, casual relationship attitudes and standoffish attitude. And I found her interactions with Harry Field lacking in chemistry – I couldn’t really see this all-encompassing attraction and mostly their romance/obsession passed me by. However what I really did love about this book was the portrayal of Hong Kong, the wealthy contrasting beautifully with the slums. It was vibrant and alive, a mix of cultures, somewhere that sounded like a very interesting place in time.
The book is further strengthened when the Japanese take the island – the descriptions of the artillery fire and the looting, the dead, the attempts by Stevie and her friends to make the small amounts of money they have last as long as they can, the search for proper food and baby formula, something that is in short supply, is some truly wonderful writing. The pictures in my head were as vivid as if I were watching a movie depicting this story. I could see and feel Stevie’s desperation, her fear, her hunger and her sacrifice. Even though it seems that the novel is equally about the war and a stunning love story, for me the strength is all in the setting. Hong Kong is painted so well, the before and also the during. It showcases the ways in which life must go on, even under occupation and also the ways in which life can go terribly wrong. The love story within the pages never really did much for me, I didn’t feel connected to Harry and Stevie and their love for one another seemed to have developed out of no where. They were both attached when they began their affair and seemed to both have callous disregard for their partners. In Stevie’s case, her relationship with Jishang was hard to fathom: casual and without strings, he seems unconcerned when he hears of her attachment to Field, well after the fact. But Field is a slightly different situation and I did find the circumstances a little less than romantic.
In all, The Harbour has some very strong points and I enjoyed the read immensely, both because of the quality of the writing and the uniqueness of the setting to me. It’s always nice to learn something as well as get a good story and I tend to gravitate towards books that depict events that have occurred in history due to my appalling lack of knowledge. It’s in reading that I’ve really come to realise how lax my high school was in teaching the important events in history and the various cultures of the world. If you’re looking for a story that showcases a wonderful setting through a difficult time then this book should satisfy.
September 19, 2019
It wasn't a bad read, but it could have been so much more. The jumping of perspective took a bit of adjustment to, I wasn't sure whose story I was meant to be reading, and it would have been better more focused on Stevie's experiences.
October 15, 2020
Couldn’t get to the end. I gave it a chance, but gave up after reading about 50%. Cardboard characters and SLOW plot.
Read
March 1, 2023Did not finish
October 29, 2024
Really good first novel set in a little known part of history, the Japanese invasion of Hong Kong. Thought jt was quite gripping.
March 4, 2017
The Harbour is set from 1940 to 1945; mainly on the island of Hong Kong. At this time control of Hong Kong was between China and Britain; with mainland China being referred to as Free China. However this is during WW2 and the Japanese manage to occupy Hong Kong until 1945. Our two main characters; Stevie, an American journalist and Harry, a British officer, meet not long before the Japanese occupation of Hong Kong and begin an illicit affair. The story follows both of them as they are torn apart by the war that is raging around them and opens the readers eyes to how they will do anything to survive.
I can't believe that this book is over. I was genuinely really excited about reading it for the past few months and now I have I feel a little .... I don't even know how to describe it. Like I'm floating out at sea and a bit bereft I think.
I wasn't a huge fan of Stevie's character, she came across as sharp and abrasive and reckless, but I instantly fell for Harry. There was one point, just after the fighting with the Japanese begins, where I held my breath. And at that point I also had to shed a tear for Ken Ramsey. My favourite character though had to be Lily. I thought she was amazing because we see so many sides to her and I love her ending. I really can see her stepping into Chen's shoes after having her eyes opened to the world.
I definitely recommend this one.
I can't believe that this book is over. I was genuinely really excited about reading it for the past few months and now I have I feel a little .... I don't even know how to describe it. Like I'm floating out at sea and a bit bereft I think.
I wasn't a huge fan of Stevie's character, she came across as sharp and abrasive and reckless, but I instantly fell for Harry. There was one point, just after the fighting with the Japanese begins, where I held my breath. And at that point I also had to shed a tear for Ken Ramsey. My favourite character though had to be Lily. I thought she was amazing because we see so many sides to her and I love her ending. I really can see her stepping into Chen's shoes after having her eyes opened to the world.
I definitely recommend this one.
June 24, 2012
In 1949, when he was just sixteen years old, my father left school and joined the navy. His first posting was in Hong Kong, and though he traveled to many places after that, it was Hong Kong that made the lasting impression, that he often spoke about.
The Harbour opens in Hong Kong some years earlier, in 1940, and it brought the place my father loved completely to life, and reminded me of so many of the things that he is no longer here to say.
The heroine of this particular story is Stevie Streiber, a young American writer who writes society gossip for magazines, while desperately wanting to write seriously about important issues. She's independent, determined and just a little headstrong, following her instincts without always thinking about the consequences, or seeing the wisdom of diplomacy.
Katherine Hepburn is her idol, and it shows, but I would venture that there's a little bit of Scarlett O'Hara in there too. It took me a little while to love Stevie, but very soon I did: she's so very alive, and a wonderfully vibrant, fallible, infuriating leading lady.
Europe was at war and conflict was brewing between China and its old adversary, Japan but Stevie was so caught up with what she was doing that she barely thought of what that meant. That put her on a collision course with British Intelligence Officer Major Harry Field: he saw a reckless, thoughtless woman and she saw a rigid controlling man. But there was also a strong, mutual attraction that neither could ignore. Even though neither was free.
Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941, battle ensued, but the colony was forced to surrender just seventeen days later. The occupying forces were brutal, and the population suffered terribly.
A British intelligence officer and an American woman with an unconventional lifestyle were sure to draw attention. They did, they were separated and both saw terrible things, both struggled to get through. Even when the war ended the damage remained, the repercussion continued ...
It was easy to turn the pages quickly, caught up with interesting, evolving characters; a time and place brought wonderfully to life; a grand love story. But then the invasion came, and this became something more that a love story in a historical setting. This was a story that echoed a real war, real events, real lives, and I had to give it time and attention.
That time and attention were rewarded, because I saw so many details. Some things that I didn't want to see, would rather not think about, but that I could not doubt would have happened.
A wonderful supporting cast allowed the author to say so much: Jishang, who travelled from China to Hong Kong with Stevie; Lily, his young cousin; Chen, her idealistic, communist brother; Madame Kung, a wealthy socialite who takes an interest in the young American woman who comes to interview her; Takeda, Harry’s Japanese friend whose true loyalties are uncertain; Declan, an Irish journalist who watches over Stevie ...
They helped to build a wonderful picture of Hong Kong. First I saw the energy, the colour, the movement, the noise. Then I saw the terrible changes wrought by the occupying forces. And in the end I better understood why the place had such a hold on my father's heart.
This is an epic tale of love, of war, and of a society.
It would make a wonderful film: I could see it all, and it surprised me not at all when I discovered that the author has written for the big screen.
I am even inspired to read a little more. Her acknowledgements include Emily Hahn, whose own story is reflected in this one, and I now have a copy of her memoir of this period, 'China to Me' to hand...
The Harbour opens in Hong Kong some years earlier, in 1940, and it brought the place my father loved completely to life, and reminded me of so many of the things that he is no longer here to say.
The heroine of this particular story is Stevie Streiber, a young American writer who writes society gossip for magazines, while desperately wanting to write seriously about important issues. She's independent, determined and just a little headstrong, following her instincts without always thinking about the consequences, or seeing the wisdom of diplomacy.
Katherine Hepburn is her idol, and it shows, but I would venture that there's a little bit of Scarlett O'Hara in there too. It took me a little while to love Stevie, but very soon I did: she's so very alive, and a wonderfully vibrant, fallible, infuriating leading lady.
Europe was at war and conflict was brewing between China and its old adversary, Japan but Stevie was so caught up with what she was doing that she barely thought of what that meant. That put her on a collision course with British Intelligence Officer Major Harry Field: he saw a reckless, thoughtless woman and she saw a rigid controlling man. But there was also a strong, mutual attraction that neither could ignore. Even though neither was free.
Japan invaded Hong Kong on 8 December 1941, battle ensued, but the colony was forced to surrender just seventeen days later. The occupying forces were brutal, and the population suffered terribly.
A British intelligence officer and an American woman with an unconventional lifestyle were sure to draw attention. They did, they were separated and both saw terrible things, both struggled to get through. Even when the war ended the damage remained, the repercussion continued ...
It was easy to turn the pages quickly, caught up with interesting, evolving characters; a time and place brought wonderfully to life; a grand love story. But then the invasion came, and this became something more that a love story in a historical setting. This was a story that echoed a real war, real events, real lives, and I had to give it time and attention.
That time and attention were rewarded, because I saw so many details. Some things that I didn't want to see, would rather not think about, but that I could not doubt would have happened.
A wonderful supporting cast allowed the author to say so much: Jishang, who travelled from China to Hong Kong with Stevie; Lily, his young cousin; Chen, her idealistic, communist brother; Madame Kung, a wealthy socialite who takes an interest in the young American woman who comes to interview her; Takeda, Harry’s Japanese friend whose true loyalties are uncertain; Declan, an Irish journalist who watches over Stevie ...
They helped to build a wonderful picture of Hong Kong. First I saw the energy, the colour, the movement, the noise. Then I saw the terrible changes wrought by the occupying forces. And in the end I better understood why the place had such a hold on my father's heart.
This is an epic tale of love, of war, and of a society.
It would make a wonderful film: I could see it all, and it surprised me not at all when I discovered that the author has written for the big screen.
I am even inspired to read a little more. Her acknowledgements include Emily Hahn, whose own story is reflected in this one, and I now have a copy of her memoir of this period, 'China to Me' to hand...
September 6, 2012
Set in Hong Kong during the 1940s, "The Harbour" follows the fortunes of American journalist Stephanie (Stevie) Steiber. Stevie meets a handsome British officer, Major Harry Field, who is investigating suspicious activity amongst new arrivals to the Crown colony. One of them is Stevie's Chinese partner Jishang with whom she publishes a supposedly non-partisan political magazine.
Stevie's work on a book about the Soong sisters also brings her into contact with both the Chinese Nationals and communists who have temporarily put aside their differences to focus on the Japanese invaders committing terrible atrocities in mainland China.
Blissfully immersed in the HK expat social scene, Stevie and her friends live and party as though unaware of the danger on their doorstep - until the inevitable happens. War comes to Hong Kong, and suddenly Stevie is forced to decided whether to evacuate with the other women or stay close to those she loves.
The time and setting of this book is one that has always interested me, but I have to admit, "The Harbour" is not the best novel I have read of the invasion of Hong Kong. I found myself getting impatient throughout at the first half of the book. Even when Hong Kong is directly threatened, the writing at times lacked a sense of real urgency.
Though there is definitely tragedy and loss in this story, it is no epic like "Empire of the Sun" (initially set in Shanghai) for example, nor a war-time adventure like Douglas Reeman's "Sunset".
"The Harbour" is primarily a romance with the pending - and arriving - war as a mere backdrop. But, I did want to know the outcome for Stevie and those she cherished, given the events that were to overtake the island colony and its inhabitants. In this story not everyone is brave and not everyone is going to survive; wondering who will, and how, is what kept me reading to the last page.
Stevie's work on a book about the Soong sisters also brings her into contact with both the Chinese Nationals and communists who have temporarily put aside their differences to focus on the Japanese invaders committing terrible atrocities in mainland China.
Blissfully immersed in the HK expat social scene, Stevie and her friends live and party as though unaware of the danger on their doorstep - until the inevitable happens. War comes to Hong Kong, and suddenly Stevie is forced to decided whether to evacuate with the other women or stay close to those she loves.
The time and setting of this book is one that has always interested me, but I have to admit, "The Harbour" is not the best novel I have read of the invasion of Hong Kong. I found myself getting impatient throughout at the first half of the book. Even when Hong Kong is directly threatened, the writing at times lacked a sense of real urgency.
Though there is definitely tragedy and loss in this story, it is no epic like "Empire of the Sun" (initially set in Shanghai) for example, nor a war-time adventure like Douglas Reeman's "Sunset".
"The Harbour" is primarily a romance with the pending - and arriving - war as a mere backdrop. But, I did want to know the outcome for Stevie and those she cherished, given the events that were to overtake the island colony and its inhabitants. In this story not everyone is brave and not everyone is going to survive; wondering who will, and how, is what kept me reading to the last page.
October 15, 2012
I really wanted to like this book more than I did but in the main it was rather a laborious read only really picking up well over halfway through. I couldn’t warm to Stevie Steiber at all – I found her selfish, rude, volatile and reckless. Her love interest, the very British Major Harry Field seemed to me to be a rather wooden character whenever he appeared in the story and I didn’t really get the feeling of any great passion from his side - either with the love affair or indeed anything else.
The book is separated into three parts. It begins in Hong Kong in 1940. Stevie is an American journalist (who also has a liking for the opium pipe), covering lightweight gossip of the rich in Hong Kong whilst desperate to secure an interview with the elusive Madame Kung, the eldest of the three Soong sisters – all sisters being the subject of Stevie’s book which Jishang, Stevie’s Chinese husband and business partner was anxious to publish. Stevie and Harry (who is also married) meet at a society event and their love affair is conducted quite publically – with disapproval from many and when the Japanese invasion finally takes place their love and, indeed, their lives are tested to the limits.
The book wasn’t terrible by any means. The cruelty inflicted by the Japanese, both on the Chinese people and prisoners of war was harrowing to read and the extreme suffering of the Chinese people together with those of other nationalities in just trying to survive was very well written.
Parts 1 and 2 made up a substantial chunk of the book however the final part 3, taking place in 1945, was told in far fewer pages and seemed in contrast to be rather incomplete and rushed. Sadly when I came to the end, I didn’t have that “wow, that was a great book” feeling.
The book is separated into three parts. It begins in Hong Kong in 1940. Stevie is an American journalist (who also has a liking for the opium pipe), covering lightweight gossip of the rich in Hong Kong whilst desperate to secure an interview with the elusive Madame Kung, the eldest of the three Soong sisters – all sisters being the subject of Stevie’s book which Jishang, Stevie’s Chinese husband and business partner was anxious to publish. Stevie and Harry (who is also married) meet at a society event and their love affair is conducted quite publically – with disapproval from many and when the Japanese invasion finally takes place their love and, indeed, their lives are tested to the limits.
The book wasn’t terrible by any means. The cruelty inflicted by the Japanese, both on the Chinese people and prisoners of war was harrowing to read and the extreme suffering of the Chinese people together with those of other nationalities in just trying to survive was very well written.
Parts 1 and 2 made up a substantial chunk of the book however the final part 3, taking place in 1945, was told in far fewer pages and seemed in contrast to be rather incomplete and rushed. Sadly when I came to the end, I didn’t have that “wow, that was a great book” feeling.
October 31, 2012
Nearly tossed it in the damned harbour...what a waste of material. It ought to be one star.
The agent who sold this one is damned genius...
So, great premise, location and time: done in TV and film and books a hundred times but still plenty of room for drama and there are moments that are gripping...but I spent more yelling out: oh please!
We get little sense of the build-up with all the expectation of invasion - none - and anyway, we don't care about so many people because the majority are all rascists - written with utter hindsight, of course.
There is a good feisty heroine with all the right ingredients - yes, hackneyed but it's all there - only she starts to irritate.
And then the glaring and extraordinary technical issues: three to four points of view on one page. So, it's all tell, no show and we know what everyone is thinking and never engage with any one character. Just one example: Shame flushed her cheeks. Yup, that's why they flushed.
And the writing 'Tigger-like energy' PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE.
Half-way through the writer starts to write in alternative points of view - hoorah! - so did she go on a writing course or did an editor take over? Now it takes off and there are excellent passages about the occupation and Chinese life...but it is way, way too long and the end seems interminable. Frankly, by then, I didn't care...I kept my finger on the Kindle button.
Go read 'The Piano Teacher' or 'Shanghai' for a good book on this period. This should be a draft novel that can be moulded into what it promises on the cover - sadly, I judged this one by it. It's lovely!5 stars for that....
The agent who sold this one is damned genius...
So, great premise, location and time: done in TV and film and books a hundred times but still plenty of room for drama and there are moments that are gripping...but I spent more yelling out: oh please!
We get little sense of the build-up with all the expectation of invasion - none - and anyway, we don't care about so many people because the majority are all rascists - written with utter hindsight, of course.
There is a good feisty heroine with all the right ingredients - yes, hackneyed but it's all there - only she starts to irritate.
And then the glaring and extraordinary technical issues: three to four points of view on one page. So, it's all tell, no show and we know what everyone is thinking and never engage with any one character. Just one example: Shame flushed her cheeks. Yup, that's why they flushed.
And the writing 'Tigger-like energy' PLEASE...PLEASE...PLEASE.
Half-way through the writer starts to write in alternative points of view - hoorah! - so did she go on a writing course or did an editor take over? Now it takes off and there are excellent passages about the occupation and Chinese life...but it is way, way too long and the end seems interminable. Frankly, by then, I didn't care...I kept my finger on the Kindle button.
Go read 'The Piano Teacher' or 'Shanghai' for a good book on this period. This should be a draft novel that can be moulded into what it promises on the cover - sadly, I judged this one by it. It's lovely!5 stars for that....
July 28, 2012
This book looked so much my cup of tea on the surface, but I found it an immense disappointment - stunning and utterly compelling it really wasn't. The book's in three parts - life in Hong Kong before the Japanese invasion, the horror of the occupation, and post war. The pre-war picture is really richly drawn, the partying ex-pat community and the immensely lavish lifestyles of the rich who live on the hill. It also introduces us to Stevie, American journalist married - apparently for convenience - to a Chinese man: she's clearly intended to be seen as "feisty" but I found her thoroughly rude and obnoxious, gratuitously offending everyone whose paths she crosses when not off her face on opium. She meets Major Harry Field and begins what some reviewers describe as an affair that's too Mills and Boon to be believable - unbelievable yes, but their relationship seems entirely physical and they really don't even seem to like each other. The middle section, during the occupation, was the most powerful for me - some really unforgettable images around the treatment of the Chinese community and prisoners of war. But I really struggled to care enough about the main characters, although the depiction of the horror was - at times - very well done. By the third section I was really just reading to finish the book. The writing is extraordinarily clunky in places, and somehow too modern for the period - Stevie's put downs read like something from the 80s not the 40s. I really can't recommend this one, I'm afraid, and I'm quite amazed by all the five star reviews on Amazon.
June 20, 2013
Stevie es una norteamericana afincada en Hong Kong que se gana la vida escribiendo artículos de sociedad para su posterior publicación en Estados Unidos. Hastiada de este empleo, lo que en realidad anhela es escribir un libro sobre las hermanas Soong, que la granjee un mayor reconocimiento y que permita que el mundo la contemple como una escritora seria. Gracias a las buenas conexiones de Jishang, su novio/amante/amigo chino, podrá moverse por las altas esferas de la sociedad. La vida de Stevie cambiará sin que ella se dé cuenta cuando conozca a Harry, un espía británico por el que sentirá una atracción inmediata. Pero, lamentablemente, su historia se verá enturbiada por la Segunda Guerra Mundial, que al principio parecía un conflicto ajeno a ellos, instalado en tierras lejanas, pero que pronto se convertirá en una terrible realidad.
La novela tiene tres partes claramente diferenciadas. En la primera parte se narra la vida en el Hong Kong de 1940 antes del estallido bélico, mostrando así una sociedad que vivía de forma despreocupada, ajena al horror que asolaba Europa. En la segunda parte, vivimos de lleno lo que la guerra supone para la población, poniendo especial atención a la brutalidad de la invasión japonesa. La última parte narra lo que ocurre después de la guerra, cuando heridas siguen sin curar.
Leer reseña completa: http://loquequierahoy.blogspot.com.es...
La novela tiene tres partes claramente diferenciadas. En la primera parte se narra la vida en el Hong Kong de 1940 antes del estallido bélico, mostrando así una sociedad que vivía de forma despreocupada, ajena al horror que asolaba Europa. En la segunda parte, vivimos de lleno lo que la guerra supone para la población, poniendo especial atención a la brutalidad de la invasión japonesa. La última parte narra lo que ocurre después de la guerra, cuando heridas siguen sin curar.
Leer reseña completa: http://loquequierahoy.blogspot.com.es...
September 5, 2012
Stevie Steiber is a youngish American journalist working in South East Asia. Harry Field is a spy in the uniform of a British army major. Their love story is set among the British colony in 1940 Hong Kong, soon to be over-run by the Japanese.
Much depends upon the reader accepting the portrait of the volatile opium-smoking Stevie: volatile to the point of violent swings of character in a few seconds, arrogantly offensive then penitent. The basis of her initial relationship with the Chinese publisher Jishang is barely explained.
Francesca Brill is a screen writer who might get away with the fraught cocktail party insults and squabbles on screen; there they may be conveyed by a look and a snatch of dialogue before moving on, but the reader may pause and feel unconvinced. And whatever homework the author has done, sport seems to have eluded her. Stevie's father is said to have taught his daughter to "row" a canoe. Elsewhere there is a reference to her writing about "cricket matches and cabaret acts ... That's what the great American public like to hear about." Cricket matches?
Much depends upon the reader accepting the portrait of the volatile opium-smoking Stevie: volatile to the point of violent swings of character in a few seconds, arrogantly offensive then penitent. The basis of her initial relationship with the Chinese publisher Jishang is barely explained.
Francesca Brill is a screen writer who might get away with the fraught cocktail party insults and squabbles on screen; there they may be conveyed by a look and a snatch of dialogue before moving on, but the reader may pause and feel unconvinced. And whatever homework the author has done, sport seems to have eluded her. Stevie's father is said to have taught his daughter to "row" a canoe. Elsewhere there is a reference to her writing about "cricket matches and cabaret acts ... That's what the great American public like to hear about." Cricket matches?
September 22, 2013
I read an uncorrected proof copy with a plainer - and much nicer - cover than the final version. I only spotted one odd line break, and there seemed to be fewer typos and punctuation errors than many final editions, but I didn't look at it with a proof-reader's eye, so if there were others that snuck through to the 'real' edition, it's not my fault!
Anyway, I thought there were some evocative descriptions of Hong Kong and Shanghai, but I couldn't sympathise with the main characters. The heroine's opium habit was brought in only when it seemed necessary and the hero's attraction to her never quite felt real which diminished the power of his betrayal. One or two other events - I'm trying to avoid spoilers, so shan't say which - felt staged. I did want to know more at the end, which is normally a good thing, but in this case left me feeling disappointed and unmoved.
Anyway, I thought there were some evocative descriptions of Hong Kong and Shanghai, but I couldn't sympathise with the main characters. The heroine's opium habit was brought in only when it seemed necessary and the hero's attraction to her never quite felt real which diminished the power of his betrayal. One or two other events - I'm trying to avoid spoilers, so shan't say which - felt staged. I did want to know more at the end, which is normally a good thing, but in this case left me feeling disappointed and unmoved.
July 18, 2012
A good read, if not a slightly predictable love story set against the extraordinary backdrop of what happened in Hong Kong during the war. But a page turner certainly with some interesting (non-love story) twists and characters. It flitted between being beautifullly written, utterly engaging, to being a bit Mills and Boon-esque in places. Unfortunately I had recently read "The Thread" by Victoria Hislop - and book extraordinary both for its back drop AND its love story - which makes this look a little amateurish, so it was always going to have a tough job to keep up there.
That said, read and enjoy, it will suck you in. And I agree with the other reviewer - it really depicts the noise, colour and choas of Hong Kong.
That said, read and enjoy, it will suck you in. And I agree with the other reviewer - it really depicts the noise, colour and choas of Hong Kong.
September 19, 2012
"The Harbour is Francesca Brill’s first novel and has all the appearances of a beach read. But of course, we don’t judge books by their cover, and rightly so – for this is both deeper and flatter than a beach read. Flatter? Yes, but I’ll go into that more in a bit. In an overcrowded market, Brill manages to write a romance set in 1940 and make it feel fresh.
Our protagonist is Stevie Steiber, an American journalist in Hong Kong who throws herself into in this new culture. Stevie, however, is very selfish and this is where I think this story falls flat." (Excerpt from full review of "The Harbour" at For Books' Sake
Our protagonist is Stevie Steiber, an American journalist in Hong Kong who throws herself into in this new culture. Stevie, however, is very selfish and this is where I think this story falls flat." (Excerpt from full review of "The Harbour" at For Books' Sake
October 15, 2012
A half hearted stab at orientalism before the American protaganist abandons her Asian lover(?) and falls for a British officer. She is not sterotyped but could have been mis-typecast as a free-wheeling opium smoking columnist. Subplots are taken up and abandoned along the way as if the author was trying to find something substantial to latch onto but never quite achieving it. It falls onto the Japanese to provide much evil and drama to liven what is pretty much a plodding narrativr and old fashioned love story. Ms Brill might have an eye for optioning this novel as a movie, being a screen writer.and having such.broad strokes of story telling in this book. Unfortunately, her characters are bland.
July 25, 2012
I so nearly stopped reading early on when one of the characters got out of a car 'unfolding his limbs like a sea anemone.' Oh, please!
However, it was a really good read. The characters all well-formed with twists and turns, maybe not so likeable at times but that all helps a novel along. I learned more about WW2 in Hong Kong than I had learned before and, although the romance running through it could be a little more Mills & Boon than I would have liked at times, I did enjoy this debut novel.
However, it was a really good read. The characters all well-formed with twists and turns, maybe not so likeable at times but that all helps a novel along. I learned more about WW2 in Hong Kong than I had learned before and, although the romance running through it could be a little more Mills & Boon than I would have liked at times, I did enjoy this debut novel.
January 20, 2014
I was primarily drawn to this book for its setting, Hong Kong. I'm glad I read it because of the places referred to and in some instances the author is able to capture the spirit of the age in the prose. But that's where my positive comments end unfortunately. It's a generic love story set in war time Hong Kong with weak character progression and a few dead ends. Had the potential for more intrigue.Very easy read.
July 28, 2012
Having grown up inHong Kong and lived in China, I was really looking forward to this. Well researched despite a few errors eg fruit bearing peach trees in hong kong in January...but I felt the characters a bit flat, spoiler coming......... Why does Harry not look up the heroine when he returns to new York? Otherwise quite enjoyable.
December 15, 2016
This is the story of a romantic liaison between an American journalist and a Major in the British Army in Hong Kong during World War11. A good read, The contrast of the life before and the life after the Invasion is certainly well drawn and how short a time it takes for a developed, civilised society to simply break down and collapse is well documented.
January 15, 2014
I took longer than I wanted to read this only due to my chaotic life, but I did enjoy the storyline. Stevie was too much of a madam for me though certainly needing a good slap on occasions so my empathy wasn't 100% with her. However good tale and satisfying ending.
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