Photo: Supplied
In December 1941, as the Japanese made their lightning attack on Pearl Harbour,
Hong Kong also came under bombardment and fell two weeks later.
Marie Broom was trapped in Hong Kong with her four children - not knowing what had happened to her husband Vincent, who'd been working in Singapore.
As the family faced the occupation alone, Vincent escaped Singapore.
He managed to make his way to India, where he began a slow and perilous journey east to try to get to Marie and the children.
Their story has been captured in a new book called 'A Message for Nasty', written by Marie and Vincent's grandson, Roderick Fry. Roderick is a designer usually based in Paris and is back in New Zealand for the Auckland Writers' Festival.
