Chapter 2 Summary

Paget asks to explain. Her life falls into three parts. First, come the pleasant school years with her mother and brother in Southampton; she remembers little of life with father in Malaya, but retains the language; her fondest memory is ice-skating twice a week, which sustains her in the jungles. Donald goes to Malaya in 1937, while Jean completes commercial college and works a year. Mother arranges a job for her, undeterred by talk of war. Unmarried European girls are in short supply in Kuala Lumpur, particularly secretaries fluent in Malay. Jean leaves in the winter of 1939, and for 18 months has a marvelous time, too good to be true.

When war comes, Jean feels safe, with 300 miles of mountains and jungle between Kuala Lumpur and the Japanese invasion force. When they are not deterred, married women and children are evacuated to Singapore. Paget and...