I first read this book almost 20 years ago. I rated it an 8 then. I read it again recently immeditately after finishing In a Sunburned Country, by Bill Bryson and am almost tempted to raise my rating to a 9 this time. Nevil Shute's books are character-driven, and the characters in this one are amazing. I think my favorite is Noel, the British lawyer who narrates the story.

The plot has two sections. The first takes place in Malaya during World War II when an Engish girl meets an Australian P.O.W. The second section begins several years after the war and continues their story. Along the way, I learned a lot about life in Malaysia and Australia.

Shute is never in a hurry in his novels, which make them the perfect books to escape into and get lost in.