J.F. Zarandin’s On the Edge of Survival is a compelling and poignant story of a young boy growing up in horrific conditions during World War II. 

Samuel Zantander, “Sam”, is a young Filipino boy who struggles to survive when the Japanese invade the Philippines.   

In 1941, the Japanese’s mission was to overtake the entire Western Pacific Rim with the capture of Australia.   

The Americans, with the help of Filipino forces, stopped the Japanese from carrying out their plan and the Japanese military was insulted and angered.  The result was their inhumane and shocking treatment of Filipino citizens for a four-year period.   

On the Edge of Survival is a narrative that takes the reader inside the mind of a young boy—seen through his eyes—as everything he knows changes.  Everyone he loves is affected.   

Zarandin’s novel is based on true-life events and chronicles the life of Sam and his family during this time in history.  This gritty and moving narration highlights what these proud people did to survive—avoiding capture, losing loved ones to sickness because of inadequate healthcare and supplies, and the aftermath of what the war did to the survivors.           

Written with clarity and compassion, and from meticulous research and personal experience, Zarandin’s novel is a beautiful and haunting tribute to the proud and strong Archipelago’s residents and their heritage.

About the Author

J. F. Zarandin is a writer, an economist and a CPA. He is a retired college teacher and international civil servant involved in economic development work in five continents and the Pacific islands for twenty-two years.  Mr. Zarandin is currently writing three novels and a book in economics. He lives most of the time in Las Vegas, Nevada.