Took me a while to get into it but I wasn't disappointed in the end. Couldn't predict anything in the plot! Saw none of it coming. I've read two of Furnivall's novels now and enjoyed both. I'll have to try another sometime. ( )

This is really a 3.5 star book. I liked it, I just didn't love it. It might have been a 4 star read but parts of the story just seemed a little too far fetched....especially some of the last 100-150 pages. Overall, I would recommend it though. ( )

If this book is anything to judge by setting and world building wise, then Ms Furnivall is a master at this element. I could feel the sweat dripping down my spine and feel the heavy weight of humidity as I read. The author has a real gift for bringing the vibrant and dangerous world of WWII Malaysia and the nearby tropical islands to life. This author is comparable to some of my other favorites in this regard.

The story itself was intense and suspenseful as it needed to be. The author managed her flow fairly well, with slow characterization scenes and dramatic action exchanges interwoven perfectly. Even the slower sections in British-held Malaysia plantations were interspersed with powerful flashbacks foreshadowing the coming invasion and events leading up to how everyone came to be on the White Pearl.

The story of the Japanese invasion of British-held territories is one I haven’t seen done often in WWII fiction. The author’s dedication to her research shows through. The siege of Singapore, the bombing of British Malaysia, and the island hopping fighting was unexplored territory for me. The British attitude towards the Japanese army, their underestimation of its prowess and speed, was an intriguing outlook to explore; goes to show that underestimating your enemy is the best way to get conquered.

One of the places this book faltered was in its characters and how they were written. Many of the main people that play a lead role in events and their outcome aren’t given the amount of characterization that they desperately needed. I was left questioning motivations for more than one individual.

The characters that did get fleshed out were three-dimensional, I’ll give the author that, but most of them are to the degree that they’re almost unlikable. Prime example of this is Maya. The reader gets a close look into her head and really gets to know her, but for her, that’s not a good thing. I almost wish she had been killed so I could read less of her.

The main character of Connie I did end up liking, enough that I was invested on whether she survived or not, got her man, or whether she was able to stay united with her son. I liked how dedicated she was to her loved ones, how her eyes eventually opened to the reality of the British Empire’s future in Malaysia, and how courageous she turned out to be facing all the challenges that came her way.

If this is what I can expect from Furnivall in future, I think I’ll be hunting other titles by her. She sets a great scene and tells a spellbinding story with outstanding research to support it. Her characters could use some work, making them more likable overall. But I enjoyed the main lead, so I was kept invested throughout the book. For the unique look at the world during WWII along, I’d recommend this book. But it’s got other great qualities, too. ( )

The White Pearl by Kate Furnivall was for me a total escape read. This is a story of survival, betrayal and courage as a group of unique characters try to escape from the Japanese as that nation invaded Malaya in December 1941.

The White Pearl of the title is a sailing ship, a 60 foot yacht belonging to wealthy rubber baron Nigel Hadley and his wife Constance. They, along with their son, Teddy and an assortment of other people try to outrun the Japanese as they take to the sea in a bid to reach Singapore and safety. When it becomes obvious that there is no haven to be found in Singapore, they put their trust in the skipper, Fitzpatrick, who assures them he knows of an island so remote that they will be safe there. Little do they know that there is even more danger awaiting them.

This book was a mass of emotions running the gamut from hate and revenge to love and passion all set against the backdrop of the Japanese invasion of Malaya. As the story developed the plot got more and more farfetched. In the end The White Pearl was a totally unbelievable story that I nevertheless enjoyed for it’s rollicking adventure and colourful locations. ( )

Well constructed novel of a woman in Malaya as the Japanese invaded in 1941 and her escape. ( )