This week, we’re giving away three copies of The Occupation by Chloe Adams. The Occupation is a historical novel set between postwar Japan and 1949 Melbourne. It follows Mary, a young Australian woman whose experiences in occupied Hiroshima – amid parties, picnics, and the harsh realities faced by locals – shatter her illusions and set in motion a life-changing pact to give her child to Tess, a married woman unable to have children. Here’s the blurb:
In the autumn of 1949, two women convene in the parlour of a Melbourne hotel. Tess is married and childless. Mary, unwed and pregnant. Surrendering to the unimaginable, Mary agrees to a life-altering pact: she will give her child to Tess.
One year earlier, Mary stands on the deck of an Australian naval ship, awaiting arrival in the ruined Japanese city of Kure. There, thousands of Australians have established an occupation of the Hiroshima prefecture.
As she settles into her new life, Mary finds carefree expats touring the countryside, hosting picnics and even throwing parties, all while the war-ravaged locals try to rebuild their lives.
When she meets Sully, an Australian journalist, Mary’s idealised notion of the occupation crumbles. Confronted by moral ambiguity on such a grand scale, she becomes reckless.
Returning home may seem the answer, but even there, echoes of the occupation linger.
If you’d like to win a copy, simply enter your details in the form below. Three lucky people will win a copy!
Entries close midday (Syd/Melb time) Monday 13 October 2025. Winners will be notified within a week of the competition closing.
GOOD LUCK!
THIS COMPETITION HAS NOW CLOSED. THANKS FOR YOUR ENTRIES! WINNERS WILL BE CONTACTED BY EMAIL AND ANNOUNCED IN OUR NEWSLETTER.
