The Riveter
A Novel
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4.4 • 25 Ratings
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- $12.99
Publisher Description
In the vein of All the Light We Cannot See, a cross-cultural love story set against the dramatic backdrop of the Allied invasion of Europe during WWII.
Vancouver, 1942. Josiah Chang arrives in the bustling city ready to make a new life for himself. The Second World War is in full swing, and Josiah, like so many Canadians, wants to prove his loyalty by serving his country. But Chinese Canadians are barred from joining the army out of fear they might expect citizenship in return. So, Josiah heads to the shipyard where he finds work as a riveter, fastening together the ribs and steel plates of Victory ships.
One night, Josiah spots Poppy singing at a navy club. Despite their different backgrounds, they fall for each other instantly, and soon Josiah is spending his nights at Poppy’s small wartime house. Their starry-eyed romance lasts until Poppy’s father comes to visit and the harsh reality of their situation is made clear. Determined to prove himself to Poppy, her parents, and the world, Josiah travels to Toronto where he’s finally given the chance to enlist. Josiah rises to the occasion, but is the world changing as fast as his dreams…
From the critically acclaimed author of We Two Alone, Jack Wang’s gorgeous debut novel explores what one man must sacrifice to belong in the only home he has ever truly known.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
It’s World War II, and Josiah Chang wants to serve but can’t join the Canadian army because he’s Chinese Canadian, so he takes a patriotic job as a riveter in a Vancouver shipyard. There, he falls in love with white nightclub singer Poppy Miller, and the couple soon get engaged, despite the disapproval of Poppy’s parents. Still keen to enlist as the war effort becomes increasingly intense, Josiah signs up as a paratrooper. Sent to the European theater, he must fight his way through France, the Netherlands, and Germany, witnessing all of war’s shocking horrors. Despite the distance, Josiah and Poppy never give up on each other’s love, clinging to the hope that they’ll eventually be together. Author Jack Wang delicately balances an old-fashioned, emotional love story with the harrowing realities of World War II and racism. Fans of All the Light We Cannot See and The Kite Runner will adore this gorgeous cross-cultural love story set against the backdrop of intense battle.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this exemplary historical, a Chinese Canadian man fights prejudice and falls in love during WWII. Josiah Chang, who's unable to join the army because of his race, finds work as a riveter in a Vancouver shipyard in 1942. There, he meets yard worker Poppy Miller, who is also a nightclub singer. They fall hard for each other, and Poppy accepts his marriage proposal, even though her parents refuse to give their consent. After Josiah hears a rumor of other Chinese men successfully enlisting on the east coast, he takes a train to Toronto and signs up to be a paratrooper. After training, he is sent to England and takes part in the invasion of Normandy. Fighting his way through France, Holland, and Germany, Josiah transforms from a raw recruit to a veteran soldier. Along the way, he sees comrades die horribly and witnesses barbaric acts, but he never loses sight of his ultimate goal: to be worthy of Poppy. The author successfully combines the entertainment of an old-fashioned war story with a crystalline view of the period's racism, offering a genuinely touching romance between Josiah and Poppy and visceral scenes of training and battle. Fans of WWII fiction will devour this.
