{"title":"William Reese Hamilton","description":"","products":[{"product_id":"wonks-paperback","title":"Wonks - Paperback","description":"\u003cp\u003e\"A harrowing wartime tale ... superb dialogue ... a dry sense of humor ... emotional gravity ... and real warmth unlikely to leave any reader with a dry eye.\" -- Kirkus Reviews. World War II, The Philippines. Johnny Oldfield tells what it's like to grow up in a Japanese prison camp, his pivotal teenage years filled with danger, adventure, intrigue, cruelty, betrayal, starvation, death, survival and liberation.Johnny calls himself a WONK (from the Chinese won gau, yellow dog) a mongrel running with a pack of rebellious kids and viewing his society from the ground up. Separated from his father by the Japanese invasion, he gets his life lessons from a diverse cast of characters: his mother Ruth, a nurse with a strong and independent spirit; Harry Barnes, a storyteller who arrives from China carrying the urn of a friend's ashes; Southy Jack, an ex-pro boxer who trains boys in the manly art; Polecat, a mestizo pal with an all-consuming hatred for the Japanese; the Colonel, a wise old plantation owner who gives advice on survival; Haverford, a disgruntled alcoholic from Manila's high society; and Abiko, the feared officer of the Japanese camp guard.This dramatic tale is played out in the heart of Manila, a city once called \"the Pearl of the Orient,\" now being destroyed by massive bombing, strafing, artillery barrages and mortar attacks.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":68244779565279,"sku":"9780996883047","price":17.48,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0813\/8958\/4607\/files\/H9b0IdsHX-9780996883047.webp?v=1792666294"}],"url":"https:\/\/blackandbarhe.com\/collections\/william-reese-hamilton.oembed","provider":"Black \u0026 Barhe Bookstore","version":"1.0","type":"link"}