A Town Like Alice

Nevil Shute

When Douglas Macfadden made his will, he left his money to his sister in trust, then to his nephew. At his lawyer's urging, he added in clauses of protection. If his sister should die, the money would go to his nephew directly. If the boy was under 21, it would be held in trust until he was of age. If he should also die unexpectedly, the money should go to his sister, Jean Pagett. Because Macfadden didn't believe a young woman would be careful enough with money, it should stay in trust for her until age 35, then she could access the whole amount.

When Macfadden died, only Jean was still alive. His sister had died of natural causes and his nephew died during World War II. Only Jean, now in her late 20's, survives. The lawyer meets her and tells her of her inheritance. Jean is surprised. She barely remembers meeting her uncle once. The lawyer can quickly tell she is a responsible woman, but cannot release the bulk of the money to her. She receives an annual income and can request more from the trustees if there is an obvious need.

She finally decides to quit her job. Then Jean tells her lawyer what she wants to do first. She wants to go to a Malay village and build a well in its center.

She then relates the odd, heartrending story of what happened to her and over 30 other British citizens when the Japanese invaded Malay. The men were marched off to prison camps immediately. But there wasn't a nearby camp for the women and children. After a few days it was decided they march 15 or 20 miles to another town where they can get transportation to the women's camp in Singapore. Once there, they discovered that there wasn't any boat available. They would have to march on. Soon it became apparent that no Japanese officer wanted responsibility of them, so would march them off to someone else. They had dysentery, malaria, and other diseases sweep through them. None of the women were prepared for a trip like that. Many did not have the stamina or health needed. Almost half the group died in the first few months. Jean had been trying to escape to Singapore with friends when the Japanese captured them. She now helped the woman with her three children.

There was one Australian man who was caught trying to help them. The women and children were made to watch as the Japanese officer had him nailed to a tree and beaten to death. After Jean has finished with the well in the Malay village that had helped her group, she decides to go to Australia and see the outback the soldier had described to her. Once there, she finds a way to use her inheritance and find a purpose once again for her life.

A Town Like Alice is three stories rolled into one. Nevil Shute heard of some Dutch women who had wandered like that for over two years under Japanese guard on one of the islands in the Malay area. He used their story to create Jean's fictional tale of her "freedom" during the war years. No, Jean's group was never interred in a prisoner of war camp. More might have survived if that had happened, though. Instead they were wandering prisoners-of-war. Jean's recounting of the story to the lawyer is straight forward, which makes it more poignant. It is only through others that he learns how it was her leadership that brought the group through.

There is the second story of the challenges of changing life in an outback community. Up in the Gulf outback area in Australia, young people didn't stay. There wasn't much to keep the women. Men who wanted to marry wouldn't stay on the ranches that couldn't keep women and would follow them to the cities. Jean is able to see that with the right type of businesses women could be attracted and enticed to stay in the dying township.

The third story is of the men who love Jean. It quietly winds throughout the novel, giving it texture. A Town Like Alice was published 60 years ago. The social mores of the book are definitely part of the times. First, there is the old fashioned uncle who believed women weren't really steady enough to handle money on their own until they were 40 (the lawyer was able to get the age dropped a little). In modern society this attitude wouldn't be countenanced. Also, there is a scene where Jean almost ends up in bed with a man. Later she reflects on how she avoided "a fate worse than death". That phrasing was common but is still demeaning. In fact there are numerous parts of the romance that would be laughed at today as she and he protect her reputation.

Despite that, Jean is a strong character. Shute uses A Town Like Alice to highlight the fact that women can be strong in personality and in business sense. Jean is able to see what is needed and look for ways to achieve her goals. A Town Like Alice is a good book although quiet - which was a quality seen in books published during this time. The reader can't avoid getting involved in the war story. It's different from any I've heard before. This is an easy read and worth it.