New York Times bestselling author David L. Robbins presents a riveting novel of war, love, and survival, set against the backdrop of an improbable rescue, the Los Baños prison raid -- one of the most daring episodes of World War II.

For three years after the fall of Manila, 2,100 Allied civilians have been imprisoned at Los Baños Internment Camp, 40 miles to the southeast and notorious for its horrendous conditions. American Remy Tuck, the camp's resident gambler, struggles daily with his Japanese army captors to keep his community of Americans, Brits, and Dutch alive, as they stave off starvation and protect one another from vicious punishments. Remy's son, Talbot, now nineteen, has become a man while in captivity. Headstrong to the hilt and a nimble thief, Tal can move like a snake under the guards' noses and defies their orders at every opportunity.

On the other side of the barbed wire, looking down on the camp, is the Filipina Carmen, a "comfort woman" who has been kidnapped by the Japanese, raped, and forced into sexual slavery to service the Imperial Japanese Army. Carmen battles to keep herself physically and emotionally intact. A favorite of one of the guards, she accepts his occasional kindnesses but has eyes only for Tal, whose fortitude in the face of great suffering astounds her. Tal, in turn, looks up to Carmen's high window and sees the grace and courage with which she endures her imprisonment. Without speaking, the two fall in love above the encampment grounds.

As the tide of the war in the Pacific turns against the Japanese, tensions and danger in the camp escalate. In the face of all but certain execution at the hands of their captors, Remy and Tal enact a daring plan to save their fellow prisoners and the woman Tal loves.

From Publishers Weekly

Robbins's ninth novel, the best WWII Pacific campaign novel in a long time, tells the dramatic story of the 1945 rescue of 2,100 American and allied prisoners from the Los Baños camp near Manila. Middle-aged gambler Remy Tuck and his teenage son, Talbot, have been civilian prisoners since the Philippines fell to the Japanese in 1942. Packed into the miserable Los Baños, where the Japanese starve, beat, abuse and murder the prisoners, Remy and Talbot use their wits and courage to survive. Across the camp, Carmen is a young Filipina woman forced to be a sex slave for Japanese soldiers. She and Talbot forge a relationship via long-distance glances through barbed wire. Once the Americans invade the Philippines and plan a daring mission to rescue the prisoners from certain death, Remy, Talbot and Carmen risk their lives to aid the paratroopers coming to their rescue, though bad luck, homicidal guards and stray bullets nearly do them in. This is a terrific story of the triumph of the human spirit, loaded with suspense, historical accuracy and fast-paced action. (Nov.)
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Review

"Broken Jewel is a tour de force, a must-read for all who need to be reminded of the transcendent power of the human spirit." -- William S. Cohen, former U.S. Secretary of Defense

"Broken Jewel is an enormous accomplishment, a richly detailed page-turner and history conjured through vivid prose. Robbins brings to life the humanity of men valiantly fighting to keep it for themselves. If you wanted to know what your grandfather, uncle, or father went through in the war, what they felt, saw, and did, read Broken Jewel. It touches on the mythic." -- Doug Stanton, New York Times bestselling author of Horse Soldiers

"David L. Robbins has a knack for airdropping into historical situations that are tightly sprung with pathos and controversy. With the little-known but epically scaled raid on Los Baños, he has found the perfect subject to ignite his many talents. Here is a white-knuckled thriller that is also sensitively enfolded in rich layers of historical resonance." -- Hampton Sides, New York Times bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder

"David L. Robbins has long been acknowledged as a master of historical fiction. In his latest page-turner, Broken Jewel, he has crafted another deeply moving epic of love and heroism. Unforgettable male and female characters, heart-pounding excitement, beautifully crafted prose. By far his best yet." -- Alex Kershaw, New York Times bestselling author of Escape from the Deep and The Longest Winter

"Japan faces defeat in the Philippines, and some 2,000 American internees face mass murder in another blend of fact and fiction from master alchemist Robbins. A remarkable story, brilliantly told." -- Kirkus (starred review)

"Set in a WWII prison camp in the Philippines, Broken Jewel is both a touching love story and a thriller of a read." -- James Bradley, New York Times bestselling author of Flags of Our Fathers and The Imperial Cruise

"a...story of incredible courage, compassion, patriotism, and just plain stubbornness in the face of extreme adversity ...Robbins' magnificent story...will inspire readers to learn more." -- Library Journal (starred review)