Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list, and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

Interesting historical novel. I was not familiar with the WARDS but knew that many women had to take over the roles that men had before the war. I enjoyed the book but wasn’t expecting so much of a love story. The story line was easy to read and follow and was a quick read. Nice to read something about WWII that didn't take place in Europe and how it affected the people in Hawaii.

This was a very interesting historical novel that taught me about an aspect of WWII that I did not know about. I have read many books set during that time period where women had to take over jobs that men normally did, and how it empowered them, but I did not know that women were enlisted for help reading radar. Very fascinating! I will do more historical research on this to learn more.

I liked the sweet love story between Daisy and Walker and how their relationship grew. It was predictable but not boring in any way. If we did not already own this, I would recommend it for purchase at my library.

A fun story about Daisy who becomes a pilot during World War II as part of the Women's Air Raid Defense. She and her colleagues display inspiring courage and determination. The story has a little love, lots of adventure, suspense and triumph.

I enjoy reading about World War II, especially the roles played by women, so this book was right up my alley. I am especially interested in Pearl Harbor and have visited the historic site. Hawaii is one of my favorite spots, so the setting for this novel was intriguing to me from the start. I also think the author did a good job of highlighting one of the unsung roles of women in the war, maybe unknown to many. Readers who like historical fiction will find this to be an enjoyable selection.

I received this book from the publisher and from NetGalley, in exchange for an honest review. The opinions expressed here are entirely my own.

I read a lot of WWII historical fiction, so I'm always eager for an interesting perspective on the war, and this book delivered. I liked learning about the WARDS, and Daisy was a great main character with a good back story, and I also really liked the supporting characters. There was romance too, but the war was the main story. It did start a bit slow for me, but it picked up and then I couldn't stop reading. Overall, it was a great read!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for sharing this title. All opinions are my own.

Along with other authors like Kate Quinn (The Rose Code) historical fiction from WWII continues to be popular. This is a wellwitten read inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, set in HI. Descriptive writing, engaging characters and dialogue, and the underlying foundation of real people's lives and historical situations combined ensure you won't be able to set this book down. Sara Ackerman has published other titles with similar premises, and while I haven't read them they would be good follow ups for anyone who enjoyed this book!

This historical novel is set in Hawaii during World War II, and is based on something real that I’d never heard of - the Women’s Air Raid Defense, where women were trained to be radio operators who spoke to radar operators and pilots and tracked both US and enemy planes.

Main character Daisy has had a tough life with a dad who died when she was young and a mother who became depressed, and has always been a loner who preferred the horses she worked with to people. But working for WARD, she finds a new purpose and new friends as well. And there’s a little romance and a hint of mystery as well.

This is the 3rd of Sara Ackerman’s 4 books I’ve read - all are set in World War 2 era Hawaii and I’ve enjoyed them all, including this one. (I still need to go back and read her first book). If you’ve read a lot of World War II books, it’s a nice change of scenery and you can learn some new things. Plus, this one is on the lighter side so you can read it without being super-depressed which is a bonus for a WWII book!

I was hoping for a bit more history and a bit less romance, but I enjoyed this book nonetheless. A quick and easy read.

this was one of the most perfect historical novel, the characters felt true to the time period and I really enjoyed going on this journey.

Historical | Adult
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Based on the actual Women’s Radar Air Defence, this historical fiction offers an entertaining look at the military role these women played in Pearl Harbor following the Dec. 7, 1941 surprise bombing by Japan. Daisy Wilder lives in a ramshackle beach house with her mother, whose been largely homebound since her husband died suddenly, before the war began. Like her dad, Daisy works at a nearby stable, and prefers bare feet and fishing to heels and dancing. When the Japanese attack, Daisy is riding one of the stable’s horses, and the noise spooks her horse who takes off. When she reports the incident (she wasn’t supposed to be on Moon), she’s fired. But immediately afterward, she and several other young women are offered a job learning to staff the radar stations that monitor air and sea traffic around the islands. The book offers a detailed look at the training and work these women engaged in, within the context of female friendships, occasional romance, and the backdrop of war. I enjoyed Daisy’s character immensely; she’s resourceful and determined, despite being filled with self-doubt. I particularly liked the friendships she forms with her work colleagues; it’s uplifting to read of women supporting each other through thick and thin. The setting on Oahu is luscious and exotic from where I sit, nicely integrated into the storyline. The historical references seem well researched, including a helpful and informative afterword by bestselling author Ackerman, and while there is a romance thread throughout the novel, this really is about the women and their work, including handling the sexism and racism of the day. The cover is terrific, too. My thanks to Mira Books for the digital reading copy provided through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
More discussion and reviews of this novel: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/55004551

I am absolutely intrigued by the stories of women pilots during WWII and thus, Radar Girls immediately caught my attention. That's probably why I read this book over the course of 2 days and could have kept going! Daisy is fearless and fun with such a bright future. Her determination is admirable.

If you're a fan of WWII historical fiction, this is a must read.

SO GOOD! The historical fiction I've been reading lately has been killing it! This story, Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman was inspired by actual events: The Women's Air Raid Defense. For the very first time in history, women took over for men in a warzone after Pearl Harbor. This was such a courageous and inspiring tale. I would recommend this to any reader, regardless of whether you enjoy historical fiction or not! This will be an easy one to handsell!

I picked this book up for a few reasons.
1) I like historical fiction.
2) I like new perspectives in historical fiction – learning about known events from a different point of view.
3) I have a soft spot and many fond memories of Hawaii.
One of my strongest memories of my first visit to Hawaii actually involves the memorial at Pearl Harbor, and it’s a place that I always associate with WWII. This made the book even more interesting to me.
The WARD program was vital to the War in the Pacific and the author certainly did her research to fully explain the jobs the women were tasked with. This was one of the strongest areas of the narrative. The historical parts were fascinating.
The author also did a nice job with the descriptions of the different women who joined the WARD program. The islands were rife with distrust (for good reason) and it is not unrealistic to believe that the women didn’t always get along, but understood the importance of being able to rely on each other.
I thought that the author captured “old Hawaii” in a very authentic manner. The words were correct (at least from my memory and the few that I looked up). That’s important because I remember how my friends’ grandparents stressed using Hawaiian as much as possible, so it didn’t get lost among new generations.
I realize I kind of skipped a beat there, but the Hawaiian language has always been magical to me. The words and phrases I learned still resonate in my head often. The same could be said with the locations.
That’s another area where the author did her homework. I could easily picture the different places where action took place – even though some of the areas have become much more commercial and developed since the 1940s, the relation to each other remains clear.
Less successful in the book were smaller subplots about a horse that went missing the day Pearl Harbor was bombed and some of Daisy’s other personal issues (like with her dad). While they weren’t awful, I thought they unnecessarily distracted from the main story at hand.
Especially the horse. Pretty sure there were more important things to worry about at the time. But I do understand the importance of a touchstone, as that’s what its purpose seemed to be.
There were also places where the writing didn’t exactly feel polished. I felt that this author’s Red Sky Over Hawaii was slightly more…advanced? That’s not exactly the correct word. Maybe the story in the previous one flowed better?
That’s not to say that this one was bad in any way. In fact, reading both of them will certainly give the reader an excellent feel for World War II Hawaii. It’s a place that was pivotal in U.S. involvement, but is often overlooked beyond the one fateful day.
I’m thankful that there are authors like this who work to keep history alive.

This was a very good read. Well written and researched, engaging with strong female characters. It was especially loved as I live here in Hawaii.

Thank you Netgalley for an ARC of Radar Girls.

Daisy Wilder is a free spirited horse trainer living in Oahu, when she isn't riding one of her beloved animals she spends her time swimming in the deep ocean. She works for the Montgomery's a wealthy powerful family with close painful ties to her own. On the morning of December 7, 1941 her and Moon, the companies prized horse, are out for a stroll when the unimaginable happens, Japanese fighter jets are dropping bombs above her head as Pearl Harbor is attacked. Devastated as war breaks out over the island Daisy is recruited to an unusual position, the Women’s Air Raid Defense, known simply as WARDs. They are helping track the imminent attacks from Japan and guide American pilots to safety in black out conditions these women must work tirelessly to save as many lives as they can, including the life of Daisy's fighter pilot love interest.

This is a very interesting twist to the typical saturated WWII historical fiction genre, it is a story that I had not heard but greatly enjoyed. Sara Ackerman's characters are well developed and the story has good pacing. The friendships the women of WARD form are real, deep and the heart of the story. There are a few subplots that feel a bit generic and a tad forced but do not distract too much. Based on real women who helped change the course of the war in Hawaii they are unsung heroes and it is nice to see them recognized. I highly recommend this for fans of WWII fiction centered around the women who contributed at home.

An enjoyable read on a subject that is not well-known by enough people. Would be a supplement to Women's Studies by illustrating how resourceful and resilient women can be in difficult situations.

This piece of historical fiction was based on the Women’s Air Raid Defense, a group of women guiding the pilots flying out of Hawaii during WWII, and trained to warn about the incoming enemy. Daisy is a horse trainer, working on the Montgomery farm when the war becomes a part of her daily life. Recruited to WARD, Daisy meets women who become close friends as they share the hardships and sadness of the war, as well as enjoy the camaraderie. Romances are also part of the story. Thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book about a group of women I didn’t know existed.

An inspiring tale of women pioneering in fields they were considered unsuited for, but in the wake of war, they had the chance to prove themselves. Daisy Wilder enlists in a secret program to guide pilots into blacked-out airstrips. She must not fail, as one of the men she is attempting to help is the love of her life. The book is rich with description of life on the island. Her team is vital to the war effort. It was a bit more "romance" than I usually like, but learning about the role women played during the war makes that easy to overlook.

I read a lot of historical fiction and most of it has focused on women helping fight the Germans in Paris, I had no idea that similar things were going on in Hawaii!

Daisy Wilder is the strong female main character. She is independent and prefers the company of horses to people. Working at a wealthy horse farm, she leads a fairly happy, but mostly solitary life. Then on December 7th, 1941 the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and her life changed completely.

She is enlisted into a group of women known as WARDS (Women’s Air Raid Defense.) They are trained to guide US pilots and to track enemy flights. She forms a strong friendship with the woman and together they discover a strength that many of them didn’t know they had.

With air raid warnings, the constant threat of attack and top secret locations, this was a side of Hawaii that I didn’t even know existed.

Fine historical fiction with plenty of character development to keep it even more interesting.