This is the sad tale of a young Canadian soldier from his childhood, through his old age. Freddy grows up in Edmonton, born on Christmas Day to a mother who died in childbirth. Befriended by the older lady, Serena, next door who takes him under her wing, Freddy finds a new life with reading, music and new friends. One new friend, Yip, is Serena's gardener and Freddy finds a father figure in him. But when Freddy gets in trouble, he lies about his age and joins up in the army. Shipped to Hong Kong, Freddy is fascinated by the world there, and is better equipped than most due to his early experiences in Edmonton's Chinatown. Despite great hardship, he manages to survive the war and come back home. But his experiences scar him, and their subsequent effect on him show that for Freddy, the war never really ends. Despite new friends and support, Freddy falls into a decline that will define his life. A look at the after effects of war on a young, impressionable man, that read true. A very good read, with good discussion questions that are included for book clubs or school classes that may be interested.

I found this book to be very well written and I loved the fact that the story began in Edmonton. I felt that the depiction of the main character was very believable. He begins life with a difficult childhood and we see how he changes when he returns home (a young man) after spending years in a Japanese POW camp.