The Divine Wind – Chapter Summary
Chapter 1 – Trade Winds
. Hartley and Alice Penrose travel through Chinatown to pick up their Friend Mitsy Sennosuke.
. The three children wandered the town.
. The children saw a movie where Hart and Mitsy would show childlike signs of affection.
Chapter 2 – Fine and Flashing
. Derby Boxer regularly visits Hart’s and Alice’s house to stay and see his sister.
. Alice starts to take notice of Carl Venning whenever he drops derby off in the town.
. The children found Derby sleeping in the cinema and felt obliged to take him somewhere else to
prevent people from being upset.
. Hart’s mother, Ida Penrose, sees the children taking Derby back to her house and stops them.
. Ida says to Mitsy ‘I think it’s time you went home, don’t you?’ which upsets Mitsy and then Hart
upsets her further with an unintentional dismissal.
. Mitsy leaves and Alice chases after her while Ida talks sternly to Hart.
Chapter 3 – Quest for Paradise
. Hart finished school and is now working with his father, Michael, while Alice and Mitsy had one
year left to go.
. Hart meets Jamie Kilian for the first time while watching his father’s shop.
. Hart and Jamie become friends.
. Hart has a birthday party out on a boat where Ida invites the Kilian’s over for dinner sometime
during the week.
. Hart confronts Jamie about Mitsy.
Chapter 4 – The Phoney War
. Ida leaves to stay with her dying father.
. Mitsy and Alice have a small fight and later make up.
. A few months on a war broke out in Europe.
. Jamie decides to join the army to help aid the strife.
Chapter 5 – Storm Warning
. Hart and Alice receive a telegram informing them that their mother was dead.
. Michael decides to go out to see after he believes the weather has cleared up.
. The crew suddenly realised that they were heading towards a cyclone but by then it was too late.
. As they passed through the cyclone Hart falls onto the deck and Zeke grabs him, holding him for
hours on end.
. Hart washes up and is sent to the hospital where Mitsy and Alice tended to him. There was no sign
of Zeke.
Chapter 6 – Chambers of the Deep
. Hart is reunited with Alice, Mitsy and his father.
. Hart discovers the Zeke has not yet been found and may be dead.
. Mitsy give Hart a sponge bath which causes Hart to feel extremely awkward and embarrassed.
. Mitsy begins to feel sad and opens up to Hart saying “Hart, I feel lost”.
Chapter 7 – Coastwatch
. Michael decides to sell his remaining luggers stating “My heart’s not in it any more, son.”
. Jamie visited and informed Hart that he was joining the air force and was to train in Canada.
. Mitsy was upset as they needed her father’s body to have a proper burial.
. Mitsy quits her job as a nurse at the hospital to support her mother.
. Hart is released from the hospital and begins to read books to distract him from thinking about
Mitsy.
Chapter 8 – Nerve Ghosts
. Alice decides to leave Broome to join the army as a nurse.
. Hart admits to Alice that he is in love with Mitsy.
. Michael sold his luggers and gave one thousand dollars to Mitsy and Sadako.
. Jamie left for Canada in April and Alice remarks that she’s in love.
Chapter 9 – Burn across the Sky
. Alice and Carl Venning form a relationship
. Carl Venning takes Alice and Hart on a trip to several destinations.
. Carl takes Alice and Hart to Harthog Downs, which is Carl Venning’s home.
. Hart was puzzled by Derby’s strangeness and distance.
Chapter 10 – The Desired Earth
. Lester and Olive Webb came for dinner one night at Harthog Downs.
. The Webbs came to visit for a second time.
. Carl asked Alice to marry him that morning.
. Morrissey had also come to visit to gain support about learning more about the Aboriginals and
Japanese.
. After an argument Alice asked Carl to fly her and Hart back to Broome.
Chapter 11 – Hard Liberty
. Hart, Alice and Michael attended the Festival of the Lanterns to honor Zeke.
. Hart and Mitsy talked for the first time in weeks and cleared the air between them.
. Mitsy explains to Hart the Jamie is going to be posted in Broome as his father pulled some strings.
. Alice and Hart mad up with Mitsy and went to see her at her house regularly.
. Alice got her travel orders in early November.
. Hart saw Jamie Kilian on the boat they were dining on for Alice’s farewell and when they got home
Bernadette explained how “they got Derby”.
Chapter 12 – Come to Greif
. Hearing the news of Derby's alleged assault of Kitty Worms, Michael call Carl Venning for
assistance, but to no avail.
. Jamie is on leave from the Air Force and meets briefly with Hart
. Derby is accused of assault and admits to the crime
. Hart and Michael are sure that Derby's is not his, and speculate that he had been persuaded by
Constable O'Neil
. Hart and Michael interrupt and oppose the trial and are kicked out of the building, Jamie does
nothing to help them
Chapter 13 – Hugging the Ground
. Kitty Worms awakens and identifies her cousin as the perpetrator.
. Derby is released and not wanting to stay in Broome wishes to return to his tribal people.
. They drive Derby 10 hours to his tribe's ceremonial country, bringing food with them.
. Derby's people are pleased with the gesture and welcome Derby back. One woman decides to
name her child after Hart.
. Derby expresses his gratitude towards the two, though Hart cannot see the supposed goodness.
Chapter 14 – Love and its Discontents
. Japanese spotter planes and submarines are sighted to the north of Broome.
. Hart receives a telegram from Alice in Kuala Lumpur, saying that she is okay.
. Hart becomes suspicious of Mitsy and begins to follow her and monitor Jamie
. Hart contemplates the handicap he now has due to his leg injury and becomes depressed
Chapter 15 – Dim the Moon
. Japan attacks America's Pearl Harbour, Malaya, Singapore and the Philippians. It is now officially
announced that Australia is at war with Japan.
. The order is given to intern the Japanese, and they are registered. Soon, many were arrested.
. Jamie attempts to search Mitsy and Sadako's house. They are suspicious due to Zeke's involvement
with the Japanese social club.
. Michael and Hart defend Mitsy and Sadako coming to the agreement with Jamie's father that they
would not be arrested in the foreseeable future. However they are verbally abused on the streets
and isolated by Broome's inhabitants
. Mitsy and Sadako's house is pelted with rocks while they were sleeping, and for their safety Hart
decides it would be best for them to stay at his home.
. Mitsy kisses Hart and then goes to his room that night.
Chapter 16 – Angles and Hollows
. Hart and Mitsy become lovers, which escapes the notice of Sadako and Michael
. More arrests, now reaching 185 of the Japanese
. Mitsy and Hart prepare food for the Japanese prisoners on Christmas Eve.
. Mitsy continues delivering food everyday, also running messages between the jail and Chinatown.
. Jamie visits Hart's house, looking for Mitsy however Hart refuses him and doesn't tell Mitsy
Chapter 17 – Rule of Darkness
. Hart and Michael are worried about Alice after not hearing from her for a long time.
. Unknowingly they both begin to turn against the Japanese in their despair. Hart feels guilty for his
relationship with Mitsy.
. Kuala Lumpur, the place Alice last was working, is bombed by the Japanese
. Michael begins to become suspicious of Sadako and Mitsy. Hart grows confused and uncomfortable
with Mitsy.
. Hart starts following Mitsy again wherever she goes and is displeased o find her meeting with
Jamie.
Chapter 18 – Soundings and Sightings
. They receive a letter saying that Alice is officially now missing after the attack. Michael has a stroke.
In his distress about Alice, Hart takes his anger out on Mitsy.
. Michael stays at the hospital for a few days, while Hart longs for Mitsy and searches through his
father's things.
. Hart begins writing in one of his faker's empty logbooks to let out his feelings
. Hart stops following Mitsy and watches Broome as it becomes a refuelling stop for the evacuation
of Java.
Chapter 19 – The Divine Wind
. Jamie and Hart get into a fight after Jamie tries to take away Mitsy and Sakdako
. The Japanese attack Broome and Hart takes out his father's dinghy to collect those injured in the
water
. Hart finds Jamie drowning in the water, in amongst oil alight with fire. He almost let's Jamie die.
. Jamie recognises Harts reluctance to save his life and they lose their already damaged friendship
. Jamie tells Hart that Mitsy and Sadako wised to leave.
Chapter 20 – Sunshine and Shadow 1964
. An evacuation of Broom is arranged and the inhabitants journey south to the desert.
. Due to rough weather however, they turn back after 2 days
. There were 3 more Japanese raids on Broome, but they resulted in little damage
. Michael, recovered from his stroke, regaining most of his speech and mobility, but he is
emotionally damaged from the war.
. The American soldiers found Alice in Sumatra. She was deathly skinny, had lost many teeth and had
tropical ulcers. She stayed for a year before leaving for Hobart, wanting to live where there was no
tropical climate.
. Jamie died in New Guinea
. Mitsy and Hart renew their friendship and write letters to each other.
. The Japanese locals of Broome slowly begin to flood back, and try to repair to their pre-war life.