Agnes Newton Keith, the author of two books, “Land Below The Wind,” and “Three Came Home,” was born in Oak Park, Illinois. She graduated from the University of California at Berkeley and later married a British Colonial Officer, Harry Keith.
Agnes and Harry lived in British North Borneo, where she wrote “Land Below The Wind.” The book was about the people, the British aristocracy and the native people of northern Borneo. She and her husband had one son, George.
When the Japanese conquered Borneo at the outset of World War II, she, her husband and son were taken prisoner and were separated in different prison camps.
Her husband and the other British Colonial officials were sent to a prison camp near Kuching, while she and her son and the wives and children of the colonial officials were first sent to the Valhalla camp just outside of Sandakan. Some time afterward, the wives and children were transferred to a camp outside of Kuchin