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When We Had Wings

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Member Reviews

A heartbreaking story of war and suffering, When We Had Wings is the story of the first American military women prisoners of war. Set in the Philippines during WWI, this story is told through the eyes of US Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, US Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina mestiza nurse Lita Capel. These three are extraordinary women, who suffer unspeakable hardship at the hands of their Japanese captors, their bravery shining out as each of them works to ease the suffering of those around them. As secondary character David tells Eleanor, “You nurses are like angels from heaven to all of us.”
While this story is gut wrenching and at times shocking, it is also gripping and inspiring. The romantic threads throughout help to lighten what would otherwise be a heartbreaking read. I also loved the strong friendship formed by these three amazing women and the way that it helped them all to keep on going. This is a beautifully written story and a must for my “to be reread” shelf.

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Three authors writing together is not a new thing. In fact, I’ve read all of the “Team W” books by Beatriz Williams, Lauren Willig, and Karen White (The Forgotten Room, The Glass Ocean, and All the Ways We Said Goodbye). Now, I read their debut collaboration last, so I can tell you that the first collaborative work can have some growing pains. That said, I didn’t know any of the “Team W” authors before I read these three novels, which probably allowed me to not have expectations. I only later went on to read their solo works. To be totally honest, with “Team W” I found that Williams was the strongest of the three (her prose practically sparkles), closely followed by Willig (nicely balanced historical fiction without too much romance, with White being my least favorite (a bit too much romance for my taste). By their last work, it felt like they were in excellent sync with each other, and I’ll read more by them in the future.

As for this book, I’ve been a huge fan of Ariel Lawhon’s novels since her debut work, “The Wife, the Maid, and the Mistress” which was the main reason I asked for this ARC, and why I had such high hopes for this book. Until now, I haven’t read anything by either McMorris or Meissner, so I was just hoping that Lawhon chose her co-authors wisely. While I’m sure they did all they could to try to make this novel feel like one cohesive hand, I found it less than convincing. In particular, I found that one of the characters seemed far too interested in trying to find romance for my taste, at least at the beginning of the book. Mind you, one can’t really think about stealing kisses all that much, when you’re trying to keep yourself and everyone around you alive. Sure, a possible romantic relationship can help give hope to someone in such trying times, but there were times when one character took this a touch too far for me. Also, I wasn’t sure I understood why one of the characters had such a horrible relationship with her parents back home, since their anger with her seemed totally unfounded – from what I could see, she didn’t do anything wrong.

I should mention that a few other reviewers have noted some anachronisms here which jarred me early on in the novel. These felt a bit lazy, since simple Google searches would have kept them out of the book. Thankfully, by the time I was just over half way through the book, these fizzled into the background and as conditions for these three women got increasingly difficult, I could concentrate on these stories instead of the petty mistakes. That said, I’m truly hoping that all of the capitalization mistakes in this book were fixed in the final version. Obviously, while these too were slightly annoying, I can’t lower my rating because of them (we are warned that our ARCs aren’t the final versions).

I think that this trio (should we call them LMM?) might have a good thing here, if they can pull back on the romance a touch, and double check their historical facts. Also, I think they’ve got a good handle on getting three separate characters into one cohesive story, and the fact that these three were separated so much during the war, did allow them to develop as individuals. That said, while their friendship seemed deep, their attachments to each other felt rushed, particularly since they were such different personalities, and especially because they split up so soon after getting to know each other. For all of this, I think that I can still recommend this book, because this is a very good first outing for these three. That’s why I’m giving it four out of five stars.

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The following review is my own thoughts in response to reading the free copy from Net Galley.

I love the genre historical fiction and find myself gravitating to many books from the World War II era. Hence the reason for requesting this book. The story of three friends facing different assignments and life circumstances is always where I am drawn. This book was no different.

Three ladies, Lita, Eleanor, and Penny meet as they embark on a nursing assignment in the Philippines during the beginning of World War II. Each woman has a different reason for joining the cause and each faces a different fate. Perseverance, bravery, friendship, and fortitude give them strength as they fight to stay alive.

Having never read a World War II story set in the Philippines, nor knowing what took place in that area, I found myself drawn to the setting that was vividly described. This was a book with a sweet story and I would recommend.

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Eleanor was aware of her fear; she would not be able to keep her solemn promise, not because she would die—the hospital had provided her with a calming haven. She had signed an oath promising not only to defend the United States but also to uphold her country’s true faith and allegiance. She would have rather not broken that commitment with her entire being. From a distance, Eleanor could hear anti-aircraft guns firing and her heart beating. She hoped that there would only be one brief, intense, dizzying moment of pain before she entered heaven.
She would once more see Grandma Lindstrom. She had missed her so much. The bomb that would kill them all waited for Eleanor and her corpsmen. They stood in line for an hour. The booming did, however, stop.
The aircraft’s drone vanished. Eleanor and her fellow nurses crawled out from under their shelter when the all-clear sounded to see what remained of Cavite. The Cavite Naval Yard had been nearly destroyed. Manila resembled little else across the bay on fire and torched.
Civilians, including young and old, men, women, children, and even infants, flooded the hospital’s triage area because the nearby medical dispensary had been bombed and there was no electricity or elevator to transport the most seriously injured to surgery. In Eleanor, too much pain, too many horrific injuries, and too much sadness were observed in her. A corpsman brought a box of morgue tags to one of the nurses because they had no way to record the care they were providing. The grim cards meant for the deceased were attached to the injured living.
The nurses who are Filipino are forced to endure additional hardships.
I honestly enjoyed the characters in this book and learning about what those heroic nurses endured.
Thanks to Netgalley for an ARC of this book

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When bestselling authors Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner combined their outstanding talents to write a novel, I knew the result would be powerful and feature an important subject. This is definitely true of When We Had Wings.

This World War II novel based in the South Pacific was inspired by the true experiences of a group of nurses known as "the Angels of Bataan." The story is told through three character with very different pasts: Eleanor, a US Navy nurse; Penny, a US Army nurse; and Lita, a Flilpina nurse. They become friends while serving at a military base in Manila, but are sent to different internment camps when the war intensifies with Japan's attacks on Pearl Harbor and the Philippines.

These military and civilian nurses became the first female prisoners of war of WWII, and were forced to endure horrible living conditions, including malnourishment, yet continued to provide medical care to their fellow internees with very limited resources. Several scenes depicting the horrors of war were difficult to read, but the personal relationships between the main characters and the people in their lives kept me connected to the plot. The novel is ultimately hopeful and is a tribute to the enduring power of the human spirit.

I appreciated reading this audiobook skillfully narrated by Saskia Maarleveld. Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the review copies of this memorable novel.

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Loved this book, so good in describing the scenes. The characters were different but joined in well with the narrative. Heart wrenching times for them all, it was also an educational script.

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Thank you @netgalley
Three authors write a historical fiction book about three nurses in the Philippines during WWII. Two of the nurses are from the US, one is from the Philippines. They meet and become friends, but everything changes when Pearl Harbor is bombed. The Japanese take over the area, and the women struggle to survive. It's a part of WWII that I didn't know much about, so I learned a lot. Good story, lots of awful things happen but shows how strong people can be as well. #whenwehadwings #ariellawhon #kristinamcmorris #susanmeissner #threeauthors #bookstagram #historicalfiction #philippines #nurses #booklover #readersofinstagram #reader #lovetoread #booksbooksbooks #readallday #readallthebooks #netgalley

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I love these authors and I enjoyed this book. I always find it very interesting to learn things about WWII that I didn’t know, like the story of American nurses in POW camps in the Philippines. At first it was hard to keep the characters straight but I really liked the plot and character development. I would definitely recommend this book for anyone who likes historical fiction and strong female characters. I received a free copy of this book from netgalley and the publisher in exchange for my honest review.

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Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner have written a book that you would not imagine was written by three different individuals. When I saw that they had teamed up to write this book, I was expecting each chapter to be about the three individual nurses with little interaction. This book flows seamlessly.

Set in the Philippines in 1941, Filipina nurse Lita Capel, US Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, and US Army nurse Penny Franklin met and a true friendship was formed. These three believed they were living out a cush assignment in paradise. But with the bombing of Pearl Harbor all things changed in an instant.

These women endured more than most of us can even begin to imagine and survived. I did appreciate that the authors did not end their characters' stories all nice and neat with a bow on top. Despite the fact that I my heart wanted these three women to all come out unscathed, we unfortunately know that is not realistic in life.

I hope we see these three historical fiction superstars unite for more projects in the future.


I received an ARC copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

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WHEN WE HAD WINGS
BY
ARIEL LAWHON, KRISTNA MC MORRIS, SUSAN MEISSNER






Three authors, three special women created by these authors, and their deepening friendships under extreme circumstances! This is the first of many World War Two novels I have read that takes place in the Pacific theater and it is a doozy! The flow of the story is wonderfully meshed by each author to tell each nurses story, all unique, and still maintain the growing friendships though separated by many miles. Of particular interest to me was the well researched and described atrocities perpetrated by the Japanese captors. The strength and stamina written into the lives of each of the three nurses is something to behold.


I have received a free copy of this book. Opinions expressed are my own.

4 Stars


Spencer Birt

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"Hope is te this with feathers
that perches in the soul
and sings the tune without the words
and never stops at all."
-E D

I never read about this topic at before. I have read many books about WWII but never about the Pacific War, in the Philippines. United Stated and Japan on war and all after Pearl Harbor, all the horrible things Japan did to US nurses was the main subject in the book but you can also get drops of much more during the book. I really enjoyed this one as it was something new for me, but the book is actually a hard heavy read. I needed to stop often and not for the topic but because it felt like a heavy read. The book is long and at times I'll admit felt messy. I got lost often. But still I couldn't out it down. You'll know about "The Angels of Bataan", which I loved!!!! I felt for each of them and their fight. Everything in this felt like you needed to close your eyes and remember this happened even if it seems too horrible to be truth. I know this is one of the reasons many avoid HF books but, personally, this is why I read it, because we need reminders of this gross things. Specially with everything happening now in the world, we need reminders of how war is for the ones living it.

Do I recommend this book? Definitely yes. And specially because many complain that they don't read HF because it's explicit and this one didn't feel that way. Yes, what the Japanese did to POWs was bad but ita way more relaxed than reading about Auschwitz. So if you'd like to read historical fiction and don't end up with nightmares this one might be for you.

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When We Had Wings is gripping, heart-tugging WWII novel is an emotional book that tells the story of three nurses stationed in Manila at the beginning of the war, and the harrowing, life-changing years to follow. There are very few novels told about the war in the Pacific. Each of their stories were filled with terror, heartache, and pain, but also of their bravery, their resilience, and their strength. Stories of WWII both in Europe and the Pacific are stories that tell of the emotions and courage of those people who served and answered the "call to arms." Yet this novel was different, set on a different stage that is hardly written about. These brave and courageous nurses who were at times called "The Angels of Bataan" set an example for women in the armed forces everywhere. The book was an amazing read as I would have expected from these three authors. This was a powerful story, highly recommended.

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Harrowing story of three military nurses who meet in the Philippines just prior to the Japanese takeover of the Philippines during WWII. It follows the nurses through prisons, prison camps, internment camps and jungle camps as they try to survive. Their friendship keeps their hopes alive as they face starvation, punishment, nursing wounds and sometimes love.

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𝘙𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨, 𝘣𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘵𝘩𝘵𝘢𝘬𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘤𝘢𝘱𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘯𝘨!

This story took my breath away, a powerful story of three brave women during war time. Beautifully written, mesmerizing, thrilling, suspenseful, moving and unforgettable. Loved everything. If you like Historical Fiction this is a must read.

Thank you TLC Book Tours and Harper Muse Books for this tour invite.

𝗪𝗵𝗲𝗻 𝗪𝗲 𝗛𝗮𝗱 𝗪𝗶𝗻𝗴𝘀 by Ariel Lawhon Kristina McMorris, Author and Susan Meissner released October 18, 2022.

https://www.instagram.com/booksandcoffeemx/

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When We Had Wings

Authors: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner

Kindle: 432 pages

Narrator: Saskia Maarlaveld
Audio: 13 hrs 4 mins


When We Had Wings is a historical fiction inspired by real events and the nurses who have come to be known as “The Angels of Bataan.” The “Angels” became some of the first POWs of the Second World War. The story is told through the perspectives of three women who become fast friends in Manilla during the pre-dawn of World War II. Eleanor is an enlisted Navy nurse, Penny with the Army and Lita a civilian Filipina nurse. Each is attempting to escape some past hurt and at first feel like they are living the life. Soon after the bombing Pearl Harbor, the Imperial Army of Japan fought to capture the capitol of the Philippines. The Philippines were a strategic holding in the Pacific Theater during the war between America and Japan. The lives of these three women are interwoven as the vagaries of the war separate and reunite them over the course of three years. Their resiliency is tested as they face the trails and indignities of war - working under the threat of fire, medical supply shortages, make shift hospitals, squalid living conditions, near starvation and the Japanese’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva convention. What is liked best about the novel was that the focus was on the everyday details of life and not the war campaigns. WWHW is a story of perseverance, sacrifice, and courage but especially of the kind of enduring friendship that saves one from giving up hope.

When I first saw that When We Had Wings was the collaborative effort of not one, but three super stars in the world of historical fiction, I knew I was in good hands. The novel reads seamlessly. This trio of accomplished authors, breathe life into each main character and give them believable and unique voices which provide a broader understanding of the time.

I had the privilege of reading both an of this novel and I highly recommend both formats. A veteran narrator of historical fiction, Saskia Maarlaveld creates a cast of distinct voices that keep the reader fully engaged and skillfully captures the world of WWHW.

Thank you to @NetGalley and @HaperMuseBooks for the privilege of reading the ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review.

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3.5 stars
I have read a lot of books about WWII, but this is the first one set in the Philippines and the battles that ensued there. With the writing from three established writers (all new to me) I had anticipated more.

Granted I did learn more about Corregidor, that the Philippines was originally a Spanish colony, and that the military and civilians were pretty much left to their own devices for their survival.

The three nurses, Eleanor, Penny and Lita all ‘escaped’ their individual difficult lives and headed to a war that did it’s best to destroy them, physically and emotionally. Their friendship as the centrepiece for their survival is commendable but I did not feel the attachment to the characters that I expected.

The deprivation of daily necessities and starvation should have been piercingly painful but it was not for me. Each of the characters endured terrible circumstances but except in rare descriptions, the wording seemed distant and was lacking to inspire the guttural feelings of loss. Although, I was satisfied with the conclusion, I was not surprised or relieved, it was so-so.

If you are a history buff however, you will appreciate the documentation of facts and the civilian/military vulnerability in exposing ‘too much truth’ for a period in history that is considered one of the biggest military disasters and management blunders.

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Happy Pub Day (Oct. 18, 2022) to When We Had Wings. I was fortunate enough to receive both an ARC and an ALC of the book and audiobook, respectively. Although #kristinamcmorris is a new author for me, #ariellawhon and #susanmeissner are both all-time favorites. These ladies wove together a wonderful story about three nurses serving in the South Pacific (Philippines) during WWII. The story centers around the lives of Eleanor (Navy), Penny (Army), and Lita (Filipina) both before and after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor. The book alternates between the three nurses and various locations, but I found it easy to track.

Each story was of equal interest. Their background stories lend understanding to their individual strengths and determination to serve even under conditions of Japanese occupation and ultimately as POWs. The Navy nurses who served in the Philippines during WWII were the first females taken into captivity during wartime. When We Had Wings is an excellent representation of those brave women. While the story does take place in part in internment camps, never pleasant, the story is overwhelmingly about survival, hope, enduring friendship, and a little bit of romance. The stories each had a satisfying and realistic conclusion. I look forward to more from the three authors.

Thank you to Net Galley and HarperMuse for the ARC/ALC. My opinions are my own.
#whenwehadwings
#netgalley
#harpermuse
#ariellawhon
#susanmeissner
#kristinamcmorris
#historicalfiction

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When We Had Wings is a historical fiction novel based on a real team of nurses called “the Angels of Bataan" stationed in the Philippines in the early 1940s during the Pacific War, part of WWII. Yes, it's a WWII story, but NOT based somewhere in Europe, which means I learned quite a bit about part of the war that I hadn't heard much of before!

This book kept me up waaay past my bedtime! The book follows three main characters, Lita, Eleanor, and Penny, nurses serving in the Philippines who form a friendship when they meet pre-war that helps carry them through the intense struggles they endure once war comes to the island. The trials and tribulations the nurses serving in the war went through were unimaginable!

I'll be honest, I've been over WWII books for a while now because there are just so many of them and I read too many in a row... but I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. This one will have you on the edge of your seat!

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The three authors who have given us this gem of a book have all been favorites of mine. I had high expectations for this new release and I was not disappointed. The story of Eleanor, Penny, and Lita had me feeling a gamut of emotions. There was joy and hope, despair and anger. I was all over the place. Our main characters are all nurses: Eleanor with the Navy, Penny in the Army, and Lita as a native Filipino. They meet in Manila and until Pearl Harbor are enjoying their assignments. The reality of war transforms them from nurses on assignment to nurses in combat and then to POWs. This is not what they expected and while they are separated, each wonders if they will ever be reunited. The three are in different hospitals and prison camps and we are given a front row seat to the conflict on Bataan and the Philippine Islands. Through all the suffering and deprivation, they cling to the hope of seeing each other again and returning to their families. A spectacular story and one of my favorite books this year. If you want to read more about Bataan, try Angels of the Pacific: A Novel of World War II by Elisa Hooper, The Reckoning by John Grisham, or Evidence Not Seen: A Woman's Miraculous Faith in the Jungles of World War II by Darlene Diebler Rose.

A big thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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Wow, I am in awe of this story and also extremely disappointed that we were never taught anything about these events in history class!

During WWII, the United States had military bases located in the Philippines, and they were attacked just mere hours after Pearl Harbor. This story focuses on three nurses (Penny, Lita, and Eleanor) who were stationed in the Philippines during that time and goes on to describe the heroic lengths they went to not only survive but to save the lives of POWs as well.

Based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed the “Angels of Bataan and Corregidor”, these three women, who were separated and reunited several times throughout this terrifying ordeal, maintained an unwavering friendship and sense of duty to their patients. Even when hope of liberation became more and more bleak, their resiliency and determination to carry on shined through the pages of this book.

I am so glad that I read this, and I’ll never forget the courageous risks these women took in order to protect innocent lives, especially when their own lives were in imminent danger.

Highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing a copy of this book to review.*

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