REVIEW: ‘The Indomitable Florence Finch’ by Robert J. Mrazek
Image courtesy of Hachette Books / Provided from official site.
The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs, a new nonfiction book from Robert J. Mrazek, tells the remarkable story of a woman in the Philippines during the tumultuous years of World War II and how she not only survived the battles between the Americans and Japanese, but also helped the resistance by securing fuel and food for prisoners of war. The story of Florence Finch may not be well-known among WWII history buffs, but it should be, especially after reading Mrazek’s meticulous retelling of her life’s story.
Throughout a series of short chapters (often running three to four pages), the author tells the tale of Finch’s life, from her birth to her upbringing to her schooling to her years of survival during the war. Influencing the early chapters is her complicated personal life with her father and mother (it gets complicated, for sure) and the discrimination she faced for being a mestiza, or mixed race as the book describes it.
Eventually Finch finds her way in life, falling for an American and setting up a life with him in Manila, the capital of the Philippines. However, the honeymoon period of their shared life comes to a sudden halt when war breaks out. First it is the news of Pearl Harbor being attacked and then it is her husband being called into duty. In the first stages of the war, when Pacific Theater seemed to be playing out in her front yard, Finch stays close to home and tries to protect herself and those in her care while her husband is away. Events grow increasingly more intense after personal tragedy strikes her, and she is forced to take a job in the fuel division overseen by the occupying Japanese forces.
What makes Finch such a hero — a term that seems entirely appropriate after reading about her courageousness — is when she decided to give much-needed supplies to the resistance fighters in the countryside outside Manila and the many prisoners being held in POW camps around the city. She doesn’t merely offer a few donations to the cause; Finch helps to set up a mini black market that saves the lives of her direct beneficiaries. And she accomplishes these daring acts while her own life and well-being are in a perilous state of increasing danger.
Mrazek, a veteran himself and former congressman, does not leave any important detail out of the book. This biography is thorough, engaging and at times heart-breaking. The narrative seems like it’s pulled from a war movie or a spy thriller, but, of course, The Indomitable Florence Finch is real.
On occasion, the writing can be a bit choppy with too much listing of information, but the plus side of this prose style is that the chapters are fast and the content is addicting. This reader found himself advancing through the pages with no impetus to stop because every third page had another interesting anecdote and well-earned note of intensity.
More than anything, The Indomitable Florence Finch restores this powerful woman’s story into the public consciousness and gives her life its proper due. Now the world has an opportunity to learn of Finch’s uncommon heroism in the face of dread and personal danger. Hers was a remarkable life.
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
The Indomitable Florence Finch: The Untold Story of a War Widow Turned Resistance Fighter and Savior of American POWs by Robert J. Mazrek. Hachette Books. $28. Click here for more information.
