A Town Like Alice tells the story of Jean Paget, who was captured, along with a group of women and children, by the Japanese in Malaya during World War II. Jean and the women are forced to walk through Malaya, and they face many hardships. A captured Australian soldier, Joe Harmon, helps the group by bringing food and medicine. Joe sacrifices himself to save Jean and the other women (Nevil Shute, A Town Like Alice [London: Heinemann, 1950]).