The Indomitable Florence Finch

This is not a pleasant read. This is a brutal wartime story about how the Japanese mistreated the Filipino populace and the Americans during their occupation years. Florence Smith never had an easy life; her father was a scoundrel of a man in his private life and her childhood wasn't pleasant, especially after her parents' separation. From the beginning she showed herself a survivor. She needed every bit of that inner strength as she faced down the pitiless Japanese.

The writing style doesn't shy away from the tough facts, but I appreciated that it didn't delve into gratuitous descriptions. The violence was bad enough even confined to bare facts. I felt the deep desolation of the young girl being beaten for her mother's bad moods, all the way through to the end where she doesn't think much of what she has done and never seeks out honor for her accomplishments. Through it all she is a woman who deeply deserves to be honored.

I listened to an audio version and enjoyed the narrator's skill in telling the story. His voice is pleasant and none of his pronunciations got on my nerves.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free reading copy. A favorable review was not required.