Overview

"When Jaan Willem Mobach (1894), his wife Johanna (1896), and their three sons, Piet, Gerard, and Jan, depart for Djokdjakarta in 1930 on the ship Indrapoera, they have no idea what awaits them. The years leading up to 1942-during which time three daughters are born-pass by in relative peace. That changes on March 8, 1942, when the Dutch East Indies fall to the Japanese. All Dutch, Indonesian Dutch, and Europeans end up in Japanese internment camps, as do many Moluccans and Chinese. In these camps, an estimated 30,000 people die of hunger, exhaustion, and torture. ""We were lucky."" These are the words of Jan Mobach when he describes what happened to his family in the Dutch East Indies during and immediately after the war years. He has recorded his memories in a document in which he recalls his adolescence during the Japanese occupation of Java. Father Jaan Willem, also, has recorded his memories in Prisoners of Nippon. These two documents form the basis of this book, fulfilling Jan's great wish. Because this book involves a whole family that was separated in the war and-pure luck-of which all members are reunited after the war, the experiences of mother Johanna make the picture more complete. Author Monique Melief tells the story of mother Johanna from her perspective, based on the facts. With the capitulation of Japan on August 15, 1945, WWII ends in the Dutch East Indies. But two days later, Java (Indonesia) declares independence. The Netherlands did not see this coming. The period that follows-the ""Bersiap""-during which time many become victims of torture, rape, and murder by Indonesian nationalists, is, if possible, even more violent. During these extremely unsafe and uncertain circumstances, the family members trickle back to the Netherlands, father Jaan Willem the last one in June 1946."

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9781777192679

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Reviews

Daan Fousert's novel, written in Dutch and translated into English by Helen Mobach, powerfully portrays the heart-breaking story of Dutch prisoners of war in Japanese concentration camps during World War II, as seen through the eyes of three members of a Dutch family. No one reading this book can avoid being chilled by the explicit portrayal of the mindless brutality that war releases. Equally compelling is the portrayal of the indomitable human will to survive, truly against all odds. Perhaps the most amazing aspect of this novel is the triumph of civility over brutality. Buoyed up by an enduring faith, the survivors of these camps offer a living testimony, in the words of Mahatma Gandhi, that all through history the way of truth and love has always won. The authors do a masterful job of telling this compelling story. It is a must-read. - David Giesbrecht, retired librarian, B.A., M.L.I.S. Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada Comparing it with my own experiences, I found Against All Odds to be very representative of the conditions that existed in the Japanese concentration camps in World War II. Jaan Willem and Johanna Mobach, with their youngest son Jan, tell the story of the Mobach family before, during, and after the experiences they endured under the Japanese occupation. Experiencing horrifying things and witnessing the brutality in these camps had a lasting effect on most survivors for the rest of their lives. In 1986, a group was formed in White Rock, British Columbia, Canada. Called The August 15, 1945 Foundation, it was named after our liberation date. It was in this group that I met Gerard, the second son of the Mobach family. Gerard and his wife Helen brought love and understanding to our group. Sometimes Gerard talked about life in his camps, and it was gruesome. How could we have survived these atrocities? We felt like brothers and sisters. Our spouses and children needed support too because just living with us was not easy. We know about the Jewish holocaust in Europe during World War II. This book, Against All Odds, adds to our knowledge of the other holocaust during World War II in the Pacific. The Mobach family receive all my gratitude for telling this story. A big thank you to Helen for the translation! - Maria Christina (Miriam) Zwaan-van Veen, Surrey, British Columbia, Canada

Author Information

Daan Fousert, born in 1947 in Zaamdam, Netherlands, is an active writer in different genres: psychological novels, historical novels, spiritual novels, and psychological thrillers. He finalized his master's in social science and labor market politics in Rotterdam, after which he worked for several international organizations. In 1999, he started his own company and has worked ever since as a leadership, culture, and sustainable consultant. He published his first professional book in 1994 about self-managed teams, which was followed by various other professional books on HR and Leadership. His first novel was published in 2007 and made him gradually grow in his authorship. He is now a fulltime author. Previously, he wrote a historical novel about Indonesia entitled Wandelen in liefde. As in Against All Odds, he relied on original documents. His knowledge and his experience with people enable him to convincingly portray authentic characters and powerful dialogue. Monique Melief was born in the Netherlands in 1955. She studied history and educational sciences and graduated from Utrecht University. She also graduated in social science and labor market politics. In 2012 she began publishing books, and in 2018 she wrote her first historical novel, In het oog van de storm, about the life of scientist and twice Nobel Prize winner Marie Curie. She writes and lives in Utrecht, the Netherlands. She works as an independent interim manager, mainly in the health care environment. Helen Mobach was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. She graduated with a B.Sc. and an M.Sc. from the University of Manitoba. Then she moved in order to pursue biochemical research at the University of California at Berkeley. She met and married Gerard Mobach in the Bay Area, California. Eventually they moved to Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada. Helen substitute taught junior and senior high school in Abbotsford School District # 34 for 12 years. After that, she taught English as a Second Language to adult immigrants for 15 years under the umbrella of Abbotsford Community Services. In the 1980s, Helen translated her Dutch father-in-law's diary of the Japanese concentration camps in WWII Java. In 2020, she received the Dutch book Het geluk te overleven, which is partially based on that diary, and got permission to translate it. After almost 50 years of marriage, Gerard passed away in 2015 and left behind two lovely daughters and their families.

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