Courage in the Shadows

Rob Nolasco's book about his mother's life is informative and fascinating. I learnt a lot about southern China, particularly Kwang Chou Wan (Guangzhouwan) and Macao. His mother quietly and courageously played many roles: as elder sister, expected to provide for younger members of the family and for her own mother when funds grew short; as wife facing the vicissitudes of an ultimately challenging marriage; as a member of the intelligence service, organising secret agents with the British Army Aid Group, during the Japanese occupation, a real life of courage in the shadows. A moving story, well told.

I was totally absorbed in this fascinating and very readable book. Rob Nolasco tells an extraordinary personal story while also bringing the history of twentieth-century Hong Kong and Macau vividly to life. Phyllis was clearly a remarkable woman, and her story is told with warmth, affection and admiration. What I especially enjoyed was the way the wider historical events are woven so naturally through the family story. I learned a great deal without ever feeling that I was reading a history book. Moving, illuminating and often surprising, this is a very engaging account of an extraordinary life and times. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

In this fascinating biography of his mother, Rob Nolasco not only paints a wonderful portrait of a courageous, resourceful and resilient woman who worked for British military intelligence during World War II while supporting her extended family in Macau and Hong Kong, but also a picture of the lives and status of Eurasians in this part of the British Empire before, during and after the war. He gives insights into the history and development of these former Portuguese- and British-controlled territories along with prevailing colonial attitudes. I learned a lot from this book about aspects of the ‘Forgotten War’ in the Far East, the history of the region and the values that shaped Phyllis Nolasco and enabled her to cope with the immense personal challenges that she rose to with such courage throughout her life. By the end of the book, I really wished I’d been able to spend some time with her!

This is a touching and tender account of a woman who courageously stood against evil, giving us a fascinating insight into a world that has almost vanished. It is so well written that you can touch the walls of the buildings described, hear the shouts in the markets and smell the cooking. The collection of photographs enables us to picture the people, bringing the whole to sparkling life.

Rob Nolasco’s story of his mother’s role in British military intelligence in second world war China is an amazing tale of an ordinary Hong Kong woman of Eurasian heritage being caught up in tumultuous world events of the twentieth century. It’s an exciting and at times very moving tale of a woman who shows great personal courage and ingenuity, running an underground network of secret agents in southern China, during the Japanese occupation. Like many who worked for the secret services during World War 2, she never spoke of her vital but perilous role in the war, and it was only after her death that personal papers revealed the truth about her work as a British spy. Now her son tells her remarkable life story and the story of Eurasians in China and their place in its colonial history. This highly readable and gripping memoir takes the reader to a time and place that few know about. Reading Courage in the Shadows is like watching the best episode of the TV series “Who Do You Think You Are?”. Both a fascinating piece of history and a deeply moving personal story of one woman's bravery and her fortitude in the face of the many challenges she faced.