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Ann Bennett
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Bamboo Road: The Homecoming (Echoes of Empire: A collection of standalone novels set in the Far East during WWII) Kindle Edition

by Ann Bennett (Author) Format: Kindle Edition
4.3 out of 5 stars 2,383 ratings
From award-winning author Ann Bennett comes another heart-breaking novel of love, loss and survival during WW2.
Determined to settle old scores from the war years, Sirinya returns to her native Thailand, where once she risked everything to help prisoners of war on the Death Railway. But her journey into the past uncovers unexpected truths...
Thailand 1942: Sirinya and her family are members of the Thai underground, who risk their lives to resist the Japanese occupation and to and help prisoners of war building the Thai-Burma railway. The events of those years have repercussions for decades to come.
The book tells Sirinya's wartime story and how in the 1970s she returns to Kanchanaburi after a long absence abroad, to discover long buried secrets from the war years.

This book has previously been published both as Bamboo Road and as The Homecoming.

Family,loyalty, war, resistance, memories. Amazon Reviewer
Very much enjoyed this holiday read and found it hard to put down. Five Stars: Goodreads Reviewer

A very thought-provoking novel which is well worth reading. Five Stars: Goodreads Reviewer
It was wonderful to read about such a brave and independent female lead character who I instantly sympathised with and felt connected to...' Goodreads reviewer.

'I loved rooting for Sirinya throughout the novel… the author has struck an excellent balance between the horror, challenges and moments of romance that her characters experience and I feel like I've learned not only about the terrible conditions of prisoner of war camps but about Southeast Asia as a region, something I was hoping for … and Ann Bennett delivered on every level.' Goodreads reviewer.
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  1. Part of series
    Echoes of Empire: A collection of standalone novels set in the Far East during WWII
  2. Print length
    338 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Accessibility
    Learn more
  5. Publication date
    October 29, 2023
  6. File size
    2.2 MB
  7. Page Flip
    Enabled
  8. Word Wise
    Enabled
  9. Enhanced typesetting
    Enabled
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There are 9 books in this series.
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    $16.69
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Editorial Reviews

Review

Family, loyalty, war, resistance, memories. Amazon Reviewer

​

Very much enjoyed this holiday read and found it hard to put down. Five Stars: Goodreads Reviewer

​

A very thought-provoking novel which is well worth reading. Five Stars: Goodreads Reviewer

'It was wonderful to read about such a brave and independent female lead character who I instantly sympathised with and felt connected to...' Goodreads reviewer.


'I loved rooting for Sirinya throughout the novel... the author has struck an excellent balance between the horror, challenges and moments of romance that her characters experience and I feel like I've learned not only about the terrible conditions of prisoner of war camps but about Southeast Asia as a region, something I was hoping for ... and Ann Bennett delivered on every level.' Goodreads reviewer


​

About the Author

Ann Bennett read Law at Cambridge and qualified and practised as a solicitor. During a career break, to have children, she started to write. Her father had been a prisoner of war on the Thailand–Burma Railway and the idea for Bamboo Heart came from researching his wartime experiences. The research took her to Southeast Asia, a place she loves and has returned to many times. She lives in the UK with her husband and three sons and works in London as a lawyer.

Product details

  • Customer Reviews:
    4.3 out of 5 stars 2,383 ratings

About the author

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Ann Bennett

Ann Bennett

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Ann Bennett is a British author of historical fiction. Her first book, Bamboo Heart: A Daughter's Quest, was inspired by researching her father's experience as a prisoner of war on the Thai-Burma Railway and by her own journey to uncover his story. It won the Asian Books Blog prize for fiction published in Asia in 2015, and was shortlisted for the best fiction title in the Singapore Book Awards 2016.

That initial inspiration led her to write more books about WWII in Southeast Asia - Bamboo Island: The Planter's Wife, A Daughter's Promise, Bamboo Road: The Homecoming, The Tea Planter's Club, The Amulet, and The Fortune Teller of Kathmandu. Along with The Lotus House, published in October 2024, they make up the Echoes of Empire Collection.

Ann is also the author of The Oriental Lake Collection - The Lake Pavilion and The Lake Palace, both set in British India during the 1930s and WWII, and The Lake Pagoda and The Lake Villa, set in French Indochina.

The Runaway Sisters, USA Today bestselling The Orphan House, The Child Without a Home and The Forgotten Children are set in Europe during the same era and are published by Bookouture. Her latest book, The Stolen Sisters, published on 29th November 2024 is the follow-up to The Orphan List (published by Bookouture in August this year) and is set in Poland and Germany during WWII.

A former lawyer, Ann is married with three grown up sons and a granddaughter and lives in Surrey, UK. For more details, please visit her website www.annbennettauthor

Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
2,383 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book's story engaging, with one review noting how it's based on true events. They describe it as a captivating read.

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Story qualityReadability
9 customers mention "Story quality"9 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the story quality of the book, with several noting that the plot held their interest throughout. One customer describes it as a beautiful sad story of family, while another mentions it is based on true events.

"Enjoyed this story since it revolved around a time that certainly was.difficult and actually happened...." Read more

"This is an excellent plot about a middle-aged Thai woman returning to her home 25 years after leaving the country to marry in 1945 just after..." Read more

"...A lot of surprises in the end." Read more

"Thuis is a story based on historical evidence and is something most U.S readers are not aware of" Read more

7 customers mention "Readability"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book captivating and easy to read.

"Such a great author!..." Read more

"It’s sweet and enjoyable on some levels and painful and sad others . I throughly enjoyed it, looking forward to more of Ann s stories." Read more

"Great read. Didn’t want to put it down." Read more

"Captivating READ!..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Kathleen L.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Captivating READ!
    Reviewed in the United States on August 2, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Enjoyed this story since it revolved around a time that certainly was.difficult and actually happened. The people who lived through those times and sacrificed their lives to help the prisoners were amazing! I have always enjoyed stories that are intertwined with real events. Ann Bennett has captured my interest once again and I wss unable to stop reading until the very end!
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  • C Woods
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intense read.
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This is an excellent plot about a middle-aged Thai woman returning to her home 25 years after leaving the country to marry in 1945 just after WWII.

    The Japanese occupation of Thailand during the war was brutal and the use of British soldiers to build a railroad through the harsh jungles and countryside, beaten and starved, is well documented. The plot here entails this woman’s need to find closure after so many years and after the death of her husband.

    I enjoy reading books by Ann Bennet as she does the research to create an excellent story of lost love here. I just wish the descriptions of characters were a little better. But the surprise ending rather makes up for it.

    I will certainly recommend to readers of historical fiction and look forward to her next book.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another good one!
    Reviewed in the United States on April 18, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Such a great author! This story teaches you that life is precious and to spend it stewing about wrongs done to you in the past is a big waste of time. Although, she really keeps your attention going with sirinyas quest in settling the score. A lot of surprises in the end.
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  • fred
    4.0 out of 5 stars very readable novel hard to put down
    Reviewed in the United States on March 25, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Thuis is a story based on historical evidence and is something most U.S readers are not aware of
    One person found this helpful
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  • Nancy in NC
    3.0 out of 5 stars Just okay
    Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    I have read the other books by this author and liked them very much. This one never captured my emotions as the characters seemed flat. I was seriously disappointed.
    2 people found this helpful
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  • Jana Mitchell
    5.0 out of 5 stars Survival in the Jungle in War.
    Reviewed in the United States on September 1, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    A beautiful sad story of family, love, hardships in a time of turmoil with the Japanese and Thai communities. A struggle to survive in.brutal conditions. A loss of many families and friends.
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  • Carol
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good story; small font
    Reviewed in the United States on March 7, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Story was very good, but font was abnormally small; thus making reading cumbersome.
    One person found this helpful
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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars My 3rd Bennett book
    Reviewed in the United States on August 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Ms Bennett certainly captures the agony that the people suffered in this part of the world in war-time. Common man puts alot of suffering at these times, that we, in a free country, are unaware of.
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Wen
    5.0 out of 5 stars great read
    Reviewed in Australia on January 9, 2025
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    Just love Ann Bennett’s books..can’t put them down. Has also shown me some of the terrible autrosities and sadness of war…
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  • CH new kindle owner
    5.0 out of 5 stars Another superb book
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on May 25, 2023
    Verified Purchase
    I have loved all of Ann's books and this was no different. Ann writes with such elegance, her characters are beautifully crafted and their stories told with care and great feeling.
    The subjects covered with regard to wartime experiences are difficult but Ann manages to find a level of humanity, either in the main characters or in someone or something that touches them, which lifts the story and reminds us of the good in people.
    Her excellent descriptions of the locations adds so much - you can almost see the landscape, feel the heat, smell the aromas and be swept in and along with the characters, experiencing and feeling as they would.
    I have read the other books in the Echoes of Empire collection but each stands on its own merits. Enjoy!
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  • Niki
    4.0 out of 5 stars A fabulous read although needs a review of the punctuation and formatting
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 2, 2024
    Format: KindleVerified Purchase
    This book is a perfect example of historical fiction and a fabulous read. It has achieved just the right balance of portraying the horrors of the war years in Thailand while also describing a story of life, love, and family. I was gripped from the first page and was rooting for the main character throughout. My only frustration was that the punctuation (and some formatting) is a bit all over the place and some pieces of narrative are very staccato, without the connective words and phrases that make a novel flow smoothly for the reader.
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  • Christine
    5.0 out of 5 stars The futility of war
    Reviewed in Australia on October 5, 2021
    Verified Purchase
    Ann Bennett has written a powerful story of love and loss, and captured the raw emotions we all endure faced with life changing events. A poignant story with a surprising twist.
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  • Gillian Oruche
    5.0 out of 5 stars a wonderful read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 14, 2024
    Verified Purchase
    A gripping, completely absorbing and moving book. A fascinating glimpse into life in Thailand during the 2nd World War. Excellent.
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