Henry "Tree" Forrest is fifteen years old. In order to avoid another beating from his vicious father, he decides to enlist in the Marines. He barely makes it through boot camp and finds himself fighting beside grown men in the Philippines.
Henry's height earns him the nickname Tree, and his courage and bravery earn him the respect of the men in his unit. When the tide of the war turns after the attack on Pearl Harbor, Tree experiences the true evils of war. The Japanese constant air and ground attacks force the allied soldiers to retreat and surrender.
Tree and his fellow soldiers become prisoners of war. The conditions are horrendous. The defeated and exhausted men are marched from the shores of the South China Sea into the interior of the island. Denied food and water and medical treatment, many men don't survive.
Once at Camp O'Donnell, Tree suffers beatings he could never have imagined from his father. With the constant encouragement of a veteran soldier named Gunny, Tree digs deep to find the strength to withstand the beatings and the miserable conditions for years.
Author Michael Spradlin has explored the world of war in his previous novel THE EMENY ABOVE. This new release takes readers into the mind of a young boy as he experiences unbelievable horrors. Written in a voice and pace that will definitely hold the attention of even the most reluctant of readers, PRISONER OF WAR is perfect for a library or classroom collection.
No comments:
Post a Comment