The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree

By Lucille Abendanon,

Book cover of The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree

Book description

Batavia, Dutch East Indies, 1942.


Emmy has the voice of an angel but hasn’t sung a note since a family tragedy. With war looming, her father plans to ship her off to a singing school in England for safety. But all Emmy wants to do is stay in Batavia with…

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Why read it?

1 author picked The Songbird and the Rambutan Tree as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

It covered a bit of WWII I was unfamiliar with: the Japanese occupation in Batvia, East Indies. The main character Emmy makes some choices that have tremendous repercussions. Survival, finding one's voice, friendship, freedom...wonderful rich themes beautifully executed. I recorded quite a few passages in my reading notebook.

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