Unsung Heroes, Paperback

A true story of a family that had to flee Singapore just days before this former British colony fell to the invading Japanese Army in World War II. Captured at sea, the women and children endured years of incarceration while some of their menfolk who were also caught, were sent to work on the infamous Death Railway in Burma. Amidst the cruelty, brutality and terror, there were also unexpected moments of kindness and compassion shown. Above all, this story is about the human spirit and how love, hope and courage shine a light through the darkness.

Eleanor ws born in Muar, Johore, a small town in Western Malaya in a close-knit family and community. She was not yet two years old when she and members of her family were made prisoners-of-war during the Japanese occupation of Singapore and Malaya in WW2. She grew up listening to the stories of her loved ones' experiences. Eleanor learnt that despite the suffering, deprivation and humiliation they had to endure, there were moments of compassion and kindness, even from the enemy. Eleanor developed a love for reading from an early age and enjoyed story-telling and creating plays for her sibling and cousins. Eleanor, a nurse, was in-charge of the Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Theatre in Singapore. When she and her family moved to Melbourne, Australia, she worked as theatre supervisor of the Operating Suite at a Private hospital. Now retired, she teaches piano and enjoys writing poems, short stories and articles for newspapers and magazines. Eleanor has also published a book of poems, 'A Time & A Season'. It is about life, with its seasons of joy, pain, service and love.