Reluctant Heroes

About the Book

It was 1941 when Bill McDonald waved goodbye from the troop train. His twelve year old son, Russell, had promised to look after Mum and the girls while his father was away, and surely the war would be over in a few months. But Singapore, the impregnable island fortress, fell to the Japanese and Bill became a Prisoner of War. With courage, laughter and heartache, Bill and his mates struggled with starvation and disease to survive in Borneo. This is Russell’s story too, as he grows up in a rural town, while his Father is away.

About the Author

A former Pre-school director and TAFE teacher, Helen Evans lives in Armidale in Northern NSW Australia. In 2009 she went on a challenging and emotional trek from Sandakan to Ranau in Sabah, Malaysia. The trek gave her an opportunity to tread in her father’s footsteps in the last stages of World War 11, and the idea for this book was born. Helen now spends much of her time storytelling at early childhood centres. She has a B.A. Dip.Ed. (English, History), and a Diploma in Early Childhood.