Starred Review ALA Booklist (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

Starred Review That war is hell is evidenced by this dramatic account of the greatest POW rescue of WWII. First, however, Hopkinson (We Must Not Forget, 2021) provides a contextual examination of military action and the suffering that American soldiers endured in the Philippines. This is dramatized by the stories of a number of participants whom the author follows through their often-ghastly experiences of the war. Chief among these horrors is arguably the notorious Bataan Death March, which forced POWs, many of them sick and starving, to walk some 65 miles to Camp O'Donnell, one of the deadliest POW camps in history. As for the march, one of its survivors recalls that it was "a macabre litany of heat, dust, starvation, thirst, filth, flies, stench, murder, torture, [and] corpses"; any of those who could march no farther were killed. The action subsequently moves from Camp O'Donnell to Camp Cabanatuan, which is the site of the rescue. Hopkinson's brilliant account of this event is cinematic and irresistibly readable, as, indeed, is the entire book, which is beautifully written, generously illustrated with black-and-white period photographs, and enhanced by extensive back matter. The book will be invaluable for both classroom use and independent reading. And kudos to it for memorializing human courage and compassion.

Starred Review for Kirkus Reviews (Tue Feb 28 00:00:00 CST 2023)

This account of the Bataan Death March and the Cabanatuan prison camp raid follows the stories of multiple witnesses and survivors.Based largely on first-person reports, the latest from noted author Hopkinson tells the stories of Americans and Filipinos, military and civilian, and their experiences in the Philippines from the bombing of Pearl Harbor until the liberation of the Cabanatuan camp. It largely focuses on the experiences of POWs but includes many other details and perspectives that help readers to put events into context. The story is presented narratively, jumping among the eyewitnesses with their stories broken up by contextual information as well as prisoners' art and poetry, all of which add a feeling of vivid immediacy. Reading it feels almost like watching a World War II newsreel: informative yet thrilling. Hopkinson uses supplemental maps and images effectively; one never needs to turn back to a previous page to remember what is happening. She does not shy away from relating the horrors of these events in an age-appropriate way. She is also careful to state that this book tells just one part of the whole story and is not the definitive word on World War II in the Philippines. An introductory author's note provides valuable context on race and gender and their impact on military service at the time and acknowledges the unjust persecution of Japanese Americans on the homefront.A fascinating, nuanced, and emotional historical narrative. (timeline, resources, bibliography, source notes, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

School Library Journal Starred Review (Sat Apr 01 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Gr 4–6— Told through oral histories, letters, and firsthand written accounts, the rescue of World War II prisoners of war from the Cabanatuan Camp in the Philippines is a harrowing story of unimaginable hardship, courage, and ingenuity. Beginning with the attacks on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1942, Hopkinson guides readers through the events that lead to tens of thousands of American and Filipino soldiers and civilians being forced on a 65-mile trek known as the Bataan Death March. Once the survivors arrive at their final destination of Cabanatuan, readers are exposed to the realities of life as prisoners of war. A generous number of black-and-white photographs and maps provide engaging visual aids that assist in bringing this extraordinary account to life. A bibliography is included and extra resources, including links to relevant websites, are shared throughout. Hopkinson also works in stories of the predominantly Latino 200th Coast Artillery from New Mexico along with stories of white and Filipino civilians. All other soldiers mentioned are white and Filipino. VERDICT Told with great detail and through the perspectives of the individuals who lived the experience firsthand, this is an impactful book that will raise awareness and encourage young readers to seek more information; a must-buy for any public or school library.— Maryjean Riou

Horn Book (Tue May 09 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

Hopkinson (We Must Not Forget: Holocaust Stories of Survival and Resistance, rev. 3/21) delivers another highly engaging nonfiction account of World War II. After giving some background information on the colonization of the Philippines, the movement for independence, and the continued U.S. military presence leading up to the attack on Pearl Harbor, the author turns to Japan's attack on key military bases in the Philippines, leaving the island nation vulnerable to invasion. After a valiant effort for several months, despite severe shortages of food, water, and supplies, the combined American and Philippine forces surrendered. Next came the infamous Bataan Death March, which saw fatigued and emaciated soldiers forced to march dozens of miles to Camp O'Donnell, the first of several prison camps the Allied soldiers endured. The fatality rate for these camps was as high as forty percent, and those who survived (eventually to be liberated by General MacArthur) were forever changed. Hopkinson has amassed an impressive array of primary-source accounts -- ranging from those by nurses and doctors to soldiers and guerrilla fighters to journalists and activists -- and woven them together into a cohesive whole. The narrative is complemented by numerous sidebars that often take up whole pages and include digressions into various related topics; black-and-white photographs; and maps. An extensive bibliography of print and digital resources, source notes, and an index are appended. Jonathan Hunt

Kirkus Reviews (Fri Oct 04 00:00:00 CDT 2024)

This account of the Bataan Death March and the Cabanatuan prison camp raid follows the stories of multiple witnesses and survivors.Based largely on first-person reports, the latest from noted author Hopkinson tells the stories of Americans and Filipinos, military and civilian, and their experiences in the Philippines from the bombing of Pearl Harbor until the liberation of the Cabanatuan camp. It largely focuses on the experiences of POWs but includes many other details and perspectives that help readers to put events into context. The story is presented narratively, jumping among the eyewitnesses with their stories broken up by contextual information as well as prisoners' art and poetry, all of which add a feeling of vivid immediacy. Reading it feels almost like watching a World War II newsreel: informative yet thrilling. Hopkinson uses supplemental maps and images effectively; one never needs to turn back to a previous page to remember what is happening. She does not shy away from relating the horrors of these events in an age-appropriate way. She is also careful to state that this book tells just one part of the whole story and is not the definitive word on World War II in the Philippines. An introductory author's note provides valuable context on race and gender and their impact on military service at the time and acknowledges the unjust persecution of Japanese Americans on the homefront.A fascinating, nuanced, and emotional historical narrative. (timeline, resources, bibliography, source notes, image credits, index) (Nonfiction. 10-14)

Publishers Weekly (Fri Oct 06 00:00:00 CDT 2023)

This well-researched work chronicles the experiences of American prisoners of war in the Philippines during WWII, beginning just after the 1941 bombing of Pearl Harbor and continuing through the 1945 Cabanatuan prison camp raid. Hopkinson (We Must Not Forget) interweaves eyewitness accounts and archived testimonies, maps and b&w photographs, and a lively third-person narrative history across three sections, lending a feeling of immediacy to the work; interstitials (“Before We Head to Bataan: A Bit of Background”) contextualize specific aspects of the conflict. While the title highlights the rescue, the telling surveys the U.S. retreat from the Philippines, the fall of Bataan and the Bataan Death March, and the POW prison camp rescue, incorporating experiences of American and Filipino citizens, nurses, and soldiers, among others. Never shying away from the brutal realities (“In Germany in WWII, POWs died at a rate of 1.2%.... In the Philippines, POWs died at a rate of 40%”), this work of narrative nonfiction directly relates conditions endured—including sickness, starvation, and acts of war and torture—and the risks of the subsequent rescue mission, making for an informative look at this under-reported part of WWII. An author’s note offers context; an epilogue and extensive back matter conclude. Ages 9–12. Agent: Steven Malk, Writers House. (Apr.)