The Forgotten Promise: A captivating gripping escapist WW2 Malaya historical fiction novel

In 1920, two girls make a promise in the shadows of the jungle. In 1941, Ella is running her late father's tin mine in the Kledang hills, and Japanese soldiers seize it. Ella is forced to make an impossible choice that takes her to England, thousands of miles from home. She is desperate to be reunited with her loved ones, but will the life she returns to be anything like the life she left behind?

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 512 pages
Publication date: 29 December 2022
Publisher: Cornerstone

Paula Greenlees has created a captivating and heart-wrenching story of love, loss, and survival
In the depths of the Malayan jungle, two young girls, Ella and Noor, made a solemn promise to each other, vowing that no matter what life threw their way, they would always be there for one another. Little did they know that the promise they made would be tested in the harshest of ways when World War II erupted, separating them from their families and sending them on a journey that would take them across continents and through the darkest of times.

Ella, a brave and determined woman, took over her late father's tin mine in the Kledang hills, a remote and treacherous location that had been the family's livelihood for generations. Despite the challenges that came with running the mine, Ella was determined to keep it running, providing for her family and the community around her. Meanwhile, Noor, a skilled cook with a heart of gold, worked tirelessly beside Ella, preparing meals and tending to the mine's workers.

However, their peaceful existence was shattered when the war that had seemed so far away suddenly arrived on their doorstep. Japanese soldiers, who had been advancing across Southeast Asia, seized the mine, forcing Ella and Noor to flee for their lives. They were separated from their families, and Ella was left with the daunting task of caring for her young daughter, Grace.

As the war raged on, Ella was forced to make an impossible choice that would take her to England, thousands of miles away from home. She was desperate to be reunited with her loved ones, but she knew that the journey would be long and treacherous. With Grace in tow, Ella set out on a perilous voyage, navigating through dangerous waters and facing countless challenges along the way.

In England, Ella was met with a different kind of hardship. She was forced to leave her beloved home behind and adapt to a new way of life that was foreign to her. She worked tirelessly to support herself and Grace, taking on any job she could find to make ends meet. But despite the struggles, Ella never lost hope. She remained loyal to her promise to Noor, and she continued to search for any way possible to be reunited with her family.

Years passed, and the war continued to rage on. Ella's search for her family was tireless, and she faced countless setbacks and disappointments along the way. But she never gave up. She continued to send letters and messages to anyone who might have information about her loved ones, and she even traveled to different parts of the world in the hopes of finding them.

Finally, after years of searching, Ella received a letter from Noor. Noor had managed to escape the war and had been living in hiding in a remote village in Malaysia. Ella was overjoyed to hear from her friend, and she immediately set out to be reunited with her.

When Ella arrived in Malaysia, she was met with the sight of devastation and despair. The war had taken a toll on the village, and many of Noor's family and friends had been killed or had disappeared. But despite the hardships, Noor was still alive and thriving.

Ella and Noor spent weeks together, catching up on the years that had passed and reminiscing about the promises they had made in the jungle. They laughed and cried together, and they were grateful for the strength and resilience that had brought them through the darkest of times.

In the end, Ella and Noor were reunited with their families. They were overjoyed to be reunited with the people they loved, and they were grateful for the strength and courage that had brought them through the war. They knew that their promise to each other had been tested in the harshest of ways, but they also knew that it had never been broken.

From that day forward, Ella and Noor continued to work together to rebuild their community and to honor the memory of the promises they had made in the jungle. They knew that life would never be easy, but they were determined to face whatever challenges came their way with the same strength and resilience that had carried them through the war.

As they looked back on their journey, Ella and Noor knew that they had been blessed with the gift of friendship and the strength of their bond. They knew that their promise to each other would always be a source of inspiration and hope, and they were grateful for the memories that they had shared and the lessons that they had learned.

In the end, Ella and Noor's story is a testament to the power of friendship and the resilience of the human spirit. It is a story that reminds us that no matter how difficult life may seem, we can always find strength and hope in the bonds of friendship. And it is a story that reminds us that even in the darkest of times, there is always a glimmer of light and a chance for a new beginning.

Weight: 358g
Dimension: 131 x 196 x 38 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781529158397