Beyond the Bukubuk Tree
A World War II Novel of Love and Loss
Author: Loretta Goldberg, New York City Branch
Reviewed by: Laura Jo Brunson, Jacksonville Branch
Loretta Goldberg’s “Beyond the Bukubuk Tree: A World WarII Novel of Love and Loss” is an ambitious and deep historical fiction that brings the Pacific Theater vividly to life while probing questions of love, identity, and moral courage.
Set in Rabaul, the “Pearl of the Pacific,” just prior to Japan’s 1942 invasion, the novel intertwines personal and political tragedy in a colonial world trembling on the brink of collapse.
At its heart is Dr. Jake Friedman, a Jewish Australian officer haunted by guilt, duty, and forbidden desire. His relationship with Lieutenant Alexander “Wip” Whipple – a former dancer and veteran of World War I – drives the novel’s emotional core. Their clandestine love, tested by war’s brutal realities and Jake’s struggle with faith and heritage, gives the story an enduring poignancy. Goldberg handles their bond with sensitivity and restraint, situating it within a broader exploration of prejudice and self-acceptance. Equally compelling are the novel’s moral and cultural dimensions. Jake’s defiance of racial segregation laws to treat a paralyzed Tolai child underscores his commitment to medical ethics over colonial injustice. Goldberg’s portrayal of the Tolai, the Chinese merchant class, Australian colonials, and the encroaching Japanese creates a layered, credible world, enriched by Pidgin, Tolai customs, and local mythology. The Bukubuk tree itself, sacred in Tolai belief, becomes a potent symbol of healing, secrecy, and transcendence, heltering forbidden love and marking the site of loss and remembrance.
Recipient of the 2023 International Firebird Book Award for War Fiction, “Beyond the Bukubuk Tree” possesses lyrical prose, historical accuracy, and moral depth. It will resonate with readers drawn to complex psychological portraits and stories about junctions of love, faith, and duty. Goldberg’s novel is not only a moving elegy for the lost soldiers of Lark Force but also a testament to the resilience of the human heart.
Made Global Publishing, 2024, $18.99
ISBN: 9788412232585