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  • Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms

  • By: Anita Heiss
  • Narrated by: Kathryn Hartman
  • Length: 7 hrs and 3 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (22 ratings)

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Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms

By: Anita Heiss
Narrated by: Kathryn Hartman
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Publisher's Summary

August, 1944. Over a thousand Japanese soldiers attempt to break out of a prisoner of war compound near Cowra. In the carnage, hundreds are killed, many are recaptured and imprisoned, and some take their own lives rather than suffer the humiliation of ongoing defeat. But one soldier, Hiroshi, determined to avoid either fate, manages to escape.... 

At nearby Erambie Aboriginal mission, Banjo Williams, father of nine and proud man of his community, discovers a distraught Hiroshi pleading for help. The people of Erambie have seen enough death and heartache, so Banjo and the Erambie community decide to offer Hiroshi refuge. Mary, Banjo’s daughter, is intrigued by the Japanese stranger and is charged with his care. Love blossoms between them, and they each dream of a future together. But how long can Hiroshi be hidden safely and their bond kept secret?

©2017 Anita Heiss (P)2019 Aurora Audio Books

What listeners say about Barbed Wire and Cherry Blossoms

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Simply but effectively told

Really enjoyed this. The story makes its points well and the interactions between Mary and Hiroshi are touching. The juxtapositioning of the situation of the Aboriginal people against the prisoners of war really highlights how the Australian government mistreated the indigenous Australians. Given one of the main characters was Japanese, I was very disappointed that the narrator had clearly made no attempt to find out how to pronounce the Japanese words.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Nice story, terrible narrator.

The narrator butchered the Japanese words and accent. It was hard to take seriously.

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In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.