The Yellow Bar: The Basics
The Yellow Bar, by John Falch, is a novel of historical fiction describing the Japanese invasion of the Philippines, during WW2. The reader follows the story mostly from the perspective of Pepot, the youngest son of a rural family who has to deal with the repercussions of the military occupation. Obviously enough, some events and personal stories are fictionalized, but the general context is accurate.
The plot starts a few years before the invasion, describing how Pepot’s family managed to escape poverty by selling food and drinks to people passing by their house. Then it proceeds to show how their “rural middle class” (in lieu of a better word) dream shattered. The invaders occupied not only their country but also their house, forcing them to become servants. It’s a story of surviving, waiting, and hoping.
