The Narrow Road To The Deep North

The Narrow Road To The Deep North is a historical fiction book set in Australia. The author is Richard Flanagan. The story takes place in the 1930's, 40's and 50's. One of the main characters is a surgeon named Dorringo Evans. Before entering the service in world war two he has an affair with his uncle's wife. The memory of her, Amy, haunts him. When he and his troop are captured by the Japanese and taken t a prisoner of war camp, Doringo tries to keep everyone's spirits up. Various diseases plague the camp. Beri-beri, cholera, typhus, and malnutrition are common.  The men in the camp are charged with building a railroad track to Burma. This is an impossible feat given the few tools they have to work with. Plus everyone is starving so they don't have the strength to use the few tools that they have. The Emporer of Japan is asking for impossible progress. Doringo tells most of the story but a Japanese commander also has some chapters to narrate. This sad tale of war and destruction was informative and eye opening.