Shadow of the Sun: Based on an Extraordinary True Story of Survival during WWII Japanese Occupation of the Dutch Indies

by Marney Blom

Letters were strictly forbidden. Weighing the consequences Menno continued to secretly write. The tiny, unsent notes to his wife Flor kept the POW's hope alive as the former headmaster struggled to survive the brutality of POW labor camps. While he toiled under the shadow of the Imperial Japanese flag, Flor and his seven children, also interned by the Japanese, endured the horrific conditions of the women and children's camps on the island of Java. Tragic yet heartfelt, vivid and historic, Shadow of the Sun is based on the gripping true story of Menno and Florence Giliam, a young Dutch missionary family separated by WWII Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. With fear their constant companion, will they survive?

300 pages, Paperback

Published August 17, 2020

About the author

Marney Blom is a Canadian journalist. For twelve years she served as the MidEast foreign correspondent for the Acts News Network (www.actsnewsnetwork.com) based in Jerusalem.

A graduate of the University of Toronto and Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, for more than 25 years Marney has produced human-interest news features for radio, television and the Internet. Beginning her career as a reporter/producer for Crossroads Christian Communications, Inc., she has traveled extensively throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.

Marney’s work has appeared on Context: Behind the Headlines, CBN News, Christian World News, Heaven TV7, Israel Vision, TBN, 100 Huntley Street, Mundo Cristiano, Evangelische Omroep (EO), the Faytene Show andIt’s A New Day. Her articles have been published in Asian Report, Faith Today, Revival Magazine and on Christianity.ca.

Marney directed and produced the documentary film, From the River to the Ends of the Earth and Between Heaven and Earth - a journey into the Father’s Heart for Israel. She has also written the screenplay Shadow of the Sun and is currently working to bring the story to life on film.

The author is the granddaughter of Menno and Florence (aka Fokje) Giliam, and the daughter of Ineke Blom-Giliam, all characters in Shadow of the Sun.

Reviews

[Kimberly · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a remarkable story!
I picked up this wonderful recount of the author's own grandparents' experience during WWII simply because I had little knowledge of the war from this angle (Dutch Indies with Japanese occupation). What I found was an incredible journey of a family's survival. I'm not a religious person, however the faith in this book is a major part and is lovely.
I thoroughly enjoyed this read.

[Bonnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️. The focus of the book was on the parent’s faith which helped them survive their ordeal. I found the plot didn’t flow smoothly which took away from the reading experience. The black and white photos throughout the book helped to visualize both characters and setting.

[Sadie · Rating 5 out of 5]

What I love about this book is how the parents kept their faith in God even during the hardest part of their lives. I'm so happy that the family was reunited at the end of the war!😃