Having fallen in love with stories by two of these authors already, I have been eagerly awaiting the release of “When We Had Wings” by Ariel Lawhon, Susan Meissner, and Kristina McMorris.

“When We Had Wings” tells the stories of three women in the Philippines during WWII: a Filipina nurse named Lita, an Army nurse named Penny, and a Navy nurse named Eleanor. As the Japanese attack and begin to occupy the Philippines, the women are bound by their duties to care for the sick and wounded - in makeshift hospitals and later in internment camps. Their intertwining stories of courage and survival frequently sent me off to Google the history that inspired these authors, knowing full well it would be rooted in deep research.

Prior to this book, I hadn’t even realized that the Philippines had been invaded and occupied by Japan. I’ve read so many WWII novels and most focus on the European conflict. I knew all about Pearl Harbor, but the conflict throughout the rest of the Pacific was new for me. It is one of my favorite aspects of historical fiction - especially by these authors - the learning that is inspired once I finish the book. I also cannot wait to learn more about how the three authors co-wrote this book - it felt seamless!

Thank you to @NetGalley and Harper Muse/Harper Collins for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this incredible story. All opinions are my own.

A remarkable novel from three very talented authors about three strong, relentless women. The Japanese prison camps during WWII isn't a topic/setting I've read too much about, but I felt I was in good hands as I experienced the hardships, heartbreak, and ultimately the hope of these resilient nurses.

Action-packed from start to finish! I love how this deeply touches me as a Filipino reading something that is close to my home.

"Every tightened knot in her belt was something to fear, not celebrate."

An inspiring novel of courage and resilience in the face of adversity. The story follows three young women who are nurses in Manila before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor, Eleanor is a US Navy nurse from Minnesota, who joined up to escape a difficult situation at home when she found the man she loved was engaged to another. Penny at 26 is a young widow from Texas and Lita is a 'mestiza', having an American father and a Filipino mother. The three meet in a bar and a strong friendship is soon formed. Their mettle is sorely tested throughout the war years, as they are moved between different Japanese POW camps, struggling with food shortages, disease, squalid living arrangements, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, which the Japanese government at the time had signed but not ratified.

The story reminded me of the BBC series 'Tenko!', which was also about women POWs held by the Japanese, but that was on the island of Sumatra not the Philippines. The three nurses each has their own storyline, the POV alternating between the three, periodically crossing the path of the others. The pacing is steady and chronological, we do get a little of each nurse's backstory but in the main the storyline follows the path of the war. The characters are well fleshed out and we do feel the strong bonds between the women even though they are separated from each other for long periods. We also share their desperation, trying to be nurses, whilst deprived of essential medical supplies and subsisting on a scant diet.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

When We Had Wings was an exciting, thrilling ride through the Philippines during World War II and the Japanese occupation therein. I had realized the horrible treatment soldiers endured under Japanese occupation, but not the women! This has opened up my reading into the Pacific Theatre.

The characters were well-developed and the straits they were in were horrible--in so many ways. While I can't imagine surviving such a situation, I know the nurses in our war areas have always been courageous and had extreme grit, so it's not surprising that stories like this came out of the Japanese Occupation of the Philippines.

There is another World War II Nurses' novel on my TBR. Here's hoping they are all different stories.

Two nurses, one Navy and one Army, and one Filipina nurse stationed in Manila in 1941 form a friendship. Life is beautiful. When Japan bombs Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, their lives are dramatically altered. These noncombatant women became the first female prisoners of war of WWII. This book is based on the experiences of the 77 nurses in the Philippines known as the "Angels of Bataan."

These women endured extreme living conditions including starvation, deplorable housing, and lack of medical supplies as well as cruelty inflicted by the Japanese military leaders. Through all of this, they showed great courage and resilience as they performed their jobs.

I have read many WWII novels, but this was the first set in the Pacific. This book was an eye opener for me. After finishing this novel, I researched names and places mentioned so I could learn more about them. Ariel Lawhon, Kristina Mc Morris, and Susan Meissner have created an unforgettable book. I wish I could rate it more than five stars.

Thank you, Harper Muse and Net Galley for the complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Best book I've read in quite a while, detailing the deprivation and atrocities in Japanese prison camps during WWII, as well as the courage and endurance of the human spirit. I strongly recommend When We Had Wings to any reader interested in historical novels.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was originally interested in reading this title as it was a historical fiction story that focused on a different aspect of WWII, mainly the true story of nurses taken as prisoners of war in the Philippines.

The book is very well written, albeit a little slow in pacing throughout the story. As I read, I kept expecting something to happen and yet the story would just keep moving forward for a bit longer than necessary before the next event transpired.. There really was no slow build but more of a slow pace as it ambled along. I think shortening the story could have improved this..

However, the author does a great job developing the characters, mainly the 3 nurses, that meet when they are first stationed in the Philippines right before the US joins the war. Overall, the themes of female friendship, duty to country, and the resiliency of women in hardship definitely resound. Overall, a good read!

Three bestselling authors come together to pen a novel based on the true story of nurses taken as prisoners of war in WW2 in the Philippines. There’s great character development and I liked that the book was respectfully serious without being too depressing; it never seemed manipulative. I feel like it could have had a tiny bit more “oomph” to keep me totally gripped but it’s still a great story of friendship and resilience.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this complimentary advanced copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Set during World War 2, three friends who are nurses deal with war, separation from each other, and heartbreak. I’ve never read a WW2 book set in the Phillippeans, so this was nice to see perspectives other than the typical European one.

An inspiring, compelling read of courage, perseverance and hope set in the midst of war. The story follows three young women who are nurses in Manilla before the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. Their mettle is seriously tested throughout the war years, as they continue to serve during the enemy occupation of the Philippines.

This well written story pulled me in from the first page with descriptions of the situations, emotions, ethical dilemmas, romantic tension, and threats of violence surrounding them. They were so brave! Their fortitude amazed me as they continued to work hard, helping others, showing mercy, despite the awful conditions. I could feel their despair as they were severely tested. It had me holding my breath at times and wanting to pray for them even, it felt so real. I wept at the end--a rarity for me--it so moved me. It had a lovely, sighworthy wrap up, leaving a feeling of hope at the end.

Highly recommend for WW2 fans, especially those who are interested in the Pacific and prisoner of war stories. It is a wonderful tribute to the real "Angels of Bataan". 5 stars!

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a fantastic emotional read about the nurses who became Japanese POW in the Philippines during WWII. I loved the different perspectives if Lita, Elenor,and Penny. The historical details were very well researched. I wish this book has included an addendum with what was fact versus what was fiction. I also would have loved a map!!! 5stars!!!!

I was very excited to receive an advanced copy of this book, as all three authors are established in history and historical fiction storytelling. Based on actual events, the novel explores the lives of two of the 77 Army and Navy nurses and one Filipina nurse who became POWs after the Japanese occupied the Philippines in May 1942, until their liberation in February 1945.

The authors incorporate first-hand accounts from survivors to craft the characters of Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, Army nurse Penny Franklin and civilian Filipina nurse Lita Capel. Other characters are real people, such as Chief Army Nurse Maud Davison. And while this book is heavy on history, it reads like the first rate novel that it is with finely crafted character development and gut-wrenching story lines.

I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII history.

I had been asking authors for WWII books with more focus on the Pacific theater being the focus. These 3 women deliver. It is gritty, horrifying, and a page turner. I had to know what happened even when I did not want to know. We always talk about the horrors of war and this book brings it to the fore front of your reading.

It is is a difficult read for that reason, but it is a well written novel. One that made me want to keep reading even when events got overwhelming.

A must read for those that have enjoyed WWII novels in the past but are looking for a different setting.

I received a free e-arc of this book through Netgalley.
The beginning of the book was emotionally hard to read because there is a lot of warfare and it made me think a lot about current events in Ukraine and how scary it must be to live under this every day. The three women: Penny, Eleanore, and Lita all joined up as nurses for different reasons, but they find themselves in similar circumstances. It was good to see their friendship strengthen and endure during the years of war in the Philippines. I read a lot of WWII historical fiction, but this is the first book I've read centered on the Philippines so it was very eye-opening to read.

I thought this was a well written book. It was also sad and depressing but then war was never a happy thing.
We follow three nurses who end up being POW’s during WW2 in Manila. I’ve read a lot of WW2 historical fiction and this is the first one dealing with this time in history.
It’s an intense book that I really enjoyed.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy, all opinions are my own.

Thanks so much to the publisher and Net Galley for a chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.
This story tells of the friendship between three young nurses stationed in Manila during WW 2. They met as new recruits and became fast friends during the ideally days of early 1941. None of them knew that a war was coming, and their lives were upended as the island was attacked and eventually surrendered to the Japanese.
The grisly detail of war and its impact on both the military personnel , the medical staff, and the locals was well told. I liked the characters, and I would have wanted to be friends with each of them. My only complaint was that to me, the personalities of Eleanor and Penny, the two Americans were virtually interchangeable and I had a hard time remembering who was who. Lita the Philippine nurse was a stronger character as she was drawn to caring for children and her interactions with her academic rival.
I have read a number if stories about WW2, quite a few of which had female heroines. However this is first story I have read about the Japanese occupation of the Manilla and the Philippines, and I was shocked by the cruelty that the Japanese imparted on their POW and internees. I thank the authors for telling the story of the brave women and men who stood up to tyranny and never gave up hope. After reading this story, it makes me appreciate just a bit more how easy our lives are today and how grateful we should be for their sacrifice.

Three diverse women join different branches of the Alliied forces nursing corps during WWII and are caught up in the Japanese takeover of Bataan in the Philippine Islands. The inclusion of a Filipino nurse, as well as a grieving, recent widow and a more typical dewey-eyed young nurse make this a well-rounded trio with different viewpoints and reactions to the trials of being prisoners of war.

This is a great read as the reader wants to learn how these truly trying circumstances are survived.

Deeply moving and evocative! As a nurse, I truly appreciated the perspective of wartime nursing that Eleanor, Penny, and Lita experienced. I cannot even begin to imagine the horrors that they witnessed and loved through. I loved the depth of their connection and bonds of friendship. I also appreciated the loyalty to their service and country above all. How easy it could have been for them to back out and do something different, but they stood their ground, and they made a huge difference. These characters have stayed with me long after finishing their story. I truly felt like I was getting a front seat narration of their time and experiences and my eyes were opened. I have spent so much of time learning about WWII from the perspective of America vs Germany. When We Had Wings was a genuinely enlightening look at the war between America and Japan. The Angels of Bataan have spurred me on to learn more about their experiences and have encouraged me in my own career. Thank you for bringing their story to the light and sharing about these remarkable women.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

When We Had Wings
Ariel Lawhon; Kristina McMorris; Susan Meissner
Publisher: Harper Muse
Series: None
Rated: 4
Obtain: Borrow
Back of the Book: “From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale of a trio of World War II nurses in the Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival.
The Philippines, 1941. When US Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, US Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.
Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the US military and the Japanese Imperial Army for control of the Philippine islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, they strive to keep their hope—and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.
In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed “the Angels of Bataan,” three women shift in and out of each other’s lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.”
Impressions: I’ve read many WW2 stories, but this fresh perspective, set in the Philippines, was new for me making this story more memorable. The three heroines were gritty but soft. I enjoyed the hope they found in each other, and their bravery was admirable. I did not feel like I was able to pick up this book however and start reading without having to place who was speaking and remember who was who. I think the beginning could have used more length in getting to know the women before jumping around. All in all, this was a great read, and I did find myself crying towards the end. Although this was not a Christian book the romance was clean. I think the perspective alone was worth reading for any historical fiction fan.

Quotes: “…Penicillin. Now that was a shock. While they’d been wasting away in the Philippines, the world had invented a brand new medicine that- had it been available in the camps- would have saved many of the lives they’d lost.” – I tried to imagine loosing track of 2-4 years of my life. I know we would all be quick to say COVID, but really be out of communication with the world. What a strange feeling that alone would have been.
“Vanity was a double-edged sword: it brought either pride or self-loathing.”
I received an ARC of this book via the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for my honest review shared here. For more book reviews go to: https://simplyannehere.wordpress.com