Letters were strictly forbidden. Weighing the consequences, Menno continued to secretly write. The tiny, unsent notes to his wife Flor kept the POW’s hope alive as the former headmaster struggled to survive the brutality of POW labor camps. While he toiled under the shadow of the Imperial Japanese flag, Flor and his seven children, also interned by the Japanese, endured the horrific conditions of the women and children’s camps on the island of Java.
Tragic yet heartfelt, vivid and historic, Shadow of the Sun is based on the gripping true story of Menno and Florence Giliam, a young Dutch missionary family separated by WWII Japanese occupation of the Dutch East Indies. Click here to read an excerpt.
“Shadow of the Sun brings to life a heroic Dutch family in the midst of the horrors of World War II. But this is a universal story of godly faith and trust in the valley of the shadow of death. Their crucible in the furnace of affliction — that reads like a movie — is a timely lesson to trust God even in the most desperate situation. This family’s steely love for one another will inspire, encourage and warm your heart like it did mine. And perhaps like me you’ll end up with tears in your eyes at the miracle of God’s everlasting faithfulness.”
— Chris Mitchell, CBN News Middle East Bureau Chief
“Shadow of the Sun draws us close into the drama of the unspeakably high price that has been paid for freedom and democracy. Through the true-life story of a missionary family torn apart and brutalized by WWII, this historical novel deeply touches the soul in a most needed way.”
— Lorna Dueck, Fmr. CEO of Crossroads, Yes TV, Tricord Media, and TV Host for Context Beyond the Headlines
“Marney Blom has penned a gripping, must-read story based on true events of her ancestors. With the backdrop of southeast Asia during World War II, the story engages the heart and shares inspiring lessons for today. Most of all, the story poses a question to each of us, what are we living for?
Marney is a gifted storyteller. I love a great book you can’t put down — one that stirs the emotions and offers “take away” truths. You will find these qualities and more in Shadow of the Sun. Grab your tissues, take time to absorb the anointed narration, and prepare to be changed!”
— Patricia Bootsma, Co-Senior Leader, Catch the Fire Canada
“My cousin Marney paints a vivid picture of a missionary family’s suffering under Japanese oppression in WWII. The very personal accounts of suffering in Japanese prison camps in the letters our granddad wrote to grandma are deeply moving. How did they manage to survive and how is it possible to have so little bitterness toward their enemy and perhaps even towards the God whom they were serving in their mission work? Where was He in all this? Yet, right in the middle of these desperate circumstances they find Him. The story left me with a loss for words, wondering at the grace of God and the fact that I exist. I warmly recommend this book.”
— Menno A. Helmus, Founder, Team Leader, Vineyard Benelux
“An amazing book that grabs your heart from the first page to the last! We travel with the Giliam family each step of the way through the horrors of war, feeling their pain, tasting their fears, yet finding the true Light in the midst of terrible darkness.
The book answers the question God is asking each of us today: If I am all you have, am I enough? This family found the answer through severe trial.”
— Ian Ross, Executive Director, Father Heart Ministry
“This is a gripping page-turner and a story vividly and skillfully woven by their granddaughter, who has employed her grandfather’s unsent letters, miraculously rescued and preserved. Shadow of the Sun not only captivates through its accounts of miraculous and divine protection, but exposes the inner workings of the soul in the face of severe suffering. It is not possible to read this true story without doing one’s own soul- searching and re-evaluation of priorities.”
— Wayne Hilsden, Co-Founder and President, King of Kings Community Jerusalem; President, FIRM (Fellowship of Israel Related Ministries)
THE AUTHOR
Marney Blom is a Canadian journalist and served for twelve years as the Middle East foreign correspondent for Acts News Network.
A graduate of the University of Toronto and Queen’s University at Kingston, Ontario, for more than 25 years Marney has produced human-interest news features for radio, television and the Internet. Beginning her career as a reporter/producer for Crossroads Christian Communications, Inc., she has traveled extensively throughout North America, Asia, Europe, Africa and the Middle East.
Marney’s work has appeared on Context: Behind the Headlines, CBN News, Christian World News, Heaven TV7, Israel Vision, TBN, 100 Huntley Street, Mundo Cristiano, Evangelische Omroep (EO), the Faytene Show and It’s A New Day. Her articles have been published in Asian Report, Faith Today, Revival Magazine and on Christianity.ca.
The author is the granddaughter of Menno and Florence Giliam, and the daughter of Ineke Blom-Giliam, all characters in Shadow of the Sun.
Join author/journalist Marney Blom as she tours southern Ontario with her popular new historical novel “Shadow of the Sun” — an extraordinary true story of the survival of a young Dutch family during WWII Japanese occupation of the Dutch Indies. For more information about the book or how to locate a store nearest you visit: …
Follow Author Marney Blom as she takes the book Shadow of the Sun across southern Ontario. Ottawa, the capital of Canada, is her next stop. Dutch Groceries is her next store. For more information about the book or how to locate a store nearest you visit: https://shadowofthesun.org/stores/ Dutch Groceries 1400 Clyde Ave, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada …
