Song of Survival

By: Helen Colijn

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Synopsis: Survivor Helen Colijn's account of her war time experiences is a window into a largely over looked dimension of World War II-the imprisonment of women and children in Southeast Asia by the Japanese and how these prisoners of war responded to their dire circumstances. Held in captivity for nearly four years, more than a third of the women in Helen's camp died of disease or starvation.Yet their courage, faith, resiliency, ingenuity, and camaraderie provide us with enduring lessons on living. Though they had no musical instruments, the women had their voices, and from memory scored classical works for symphony and piano. The music that helped sustain them while in captivity is a lasting and precious gift of these women to a world that has witnessed far too much war.Song of Survival inspired the motion picture Paradise Road, starring Glenn Close and a soundtrack of the movie Paradise Road Soundtrack