This is a WWII story; but mostly it is a story of friendship that survives under devastating circumstances. Penny, Eleanor and Lita were all nurses on assignment in the Philippines; then Pearl Harbor happens and they become wartime nurses; then ultimately they all became prisoners of war. The three nurses are separated into different camps and thus they each have unique stories, but they have a strong bond that keeps them connected. This friendship is the cornerstone of the book.

The story of how the POWs were treated by the Japanese was horrific. This was a part of WWII history that I didn’t know about; so it was very enlightening. The POWs were American businessmen, their families, missionaries - pretty much anyone who happened to be in the Philippines the day after Pearl Harbor. They were not just military personnel - there were 1000s of women and children in the wrong place at the wrong time. This book sheds light on the treatment of POWs and the conditions they lived in.

The audible version had a great narrator, but it was a little hard to follow. The three nurses each have their own stories, supporting characters and circumstances. It was a little difficult to keep up with just listening. I think this book would be even better if read.

Thank you to NetGalley for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Three phenomenal authors join forces to tell the harrowing, yet inspiring, tale of the "Angels of Bataan." Three army/navy nurses all stationed in the Phillipines just before WW2 form a quick and unbreakable friendship. All 3 women, Lita, Penny & Eleanor, are imprisoned, becoming the first female POWs.

This unbearably terrifying story is somehow heart-warming and inspiring. The awful conditions, physical, mental & emotional, that these nurses were forced to endure is so tragic, but they find solace in their friendships. Even when they aren't together, even when they don't know if their friends are still alive, that soul-deep friendship fuels each of them to endure so much.

Kudos the the authors, the narrator, but most of all the original Angels of Bataan whose stories are an inspiration to all!

Thank you to netgalley and HarperMuse for allowing me to read, listen and review. This is absolutely a story that I will treasure for life!

The audiobook of When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner is narrated by Saskia Maarleveld, who brings the story to life with her engaging performance. The novel follows three nurses—Eleanor, Penny, and Lita—stationed in the Philippines in 1941, whose lives are upended by the outbreak of World War II.

Listeners have praised the narration, noting that Maarleveld does an excellent job distinguishing the characters' voices, making it easy to follow the alternating perspectives. The story itself is a historical fiction novel inspired by the true experiences of the Angels of Bataan, the first female prisoners of war in WWII. It explores themes of resilience, friendship, and survival under dire conditions.

“As the first American female prisoners of war, you have a special place in the history books. But to have served four years as prisoners, in combat conditions, you have my respect as well.”

Three nurses, stationed in the Philippines right before the attack on Pearl Harbor, forms tentative friendship. They meet once a month and enjoy bonding and getting to know each other. But after the Phillippines is taken over by the Japanese and everything changes. They find themselves taken prisoner and separated and facing unbearable challenges. I’ve always been interested in World War II, but this is an area that I had never read much about. Everything they went through absolutely broke my heart. All 3 of the women were incredible strong and brave and saved so many lives. The Japanese that took over the Philippines were absolutely cruel and I don’t understand how anyone can treat other people that way. I do realize that this is not the only time in history atrocities were committed, but I’m focusing on this part of history at the moment. I did love the camaraderie between Lita, Penny, and Eleanor before they were separated. They also had incredible relationships with some of the other people they were captured with. The value of the relationships they formed helped each of them get through this horrific time and really made this book worth reading.

🌟 4/5
Narration 4/5

I loved the book and was excited to get the audiobook version.

While the narrator did an excellent job, I think this was a missed opportunity to get multiple narrators to read each women's perspective. I understand the book itself is third person POV and worked well with single narration, but the multiple narrators would have elevated the story in my opinion. More importantly during Lita's chapters and her being Filipino.

This was just okay. I feel like you could absolutely tell that it was a collaboration between authors because certain parts were told completely different than others. Each character's journey was unique but there was really no climax to the story. You're just following all 3 nurses along through their journey as POW in this camp as WWII nurses and the hardships they face. There were small pieces of romance sprinkled throughout the book but this is heavy on the historical fiction and light on the romance. I just got a little bored through the middle of the book and found myself not wanting to finish because i felt like I was listening to the same thing over and over.

really really enjoyed. Loved the friendship arc and learned a TON about what happened in the Philippines during WWII. I had no idea what happened over there, so many books cover Europe, the UK, the US, but not over in Asia. Great book

When I saw this title available as listen now I was intrigued by this lesser lauded part of WWII, being set in the Philippines. I enjoy learning through fiction and wanted to know what the nurses Eleanor, Penny and Lita experienced, first working abroad during the war and then as prisioners of war when Japan captures the Phillipines. The beginning sets the scene quite well and gives a good picture of life in service and for women at the time and the danger they experienced felt very real. Unfortunately, once the troops were jailed it was quite dull. It was for the prisoners as well. I felt their anguished days of endless waiting, with their biggest threat being starved. It seems the Japanese having collected all theses POW's had no idea what to do with them. If that was accurate, then we'll done. After liberation the stories of the girls returning home was heartfelt and I enjoyed that. Overall because of its unique situation and compelling characters I really enjoyed it.

With three similarily aged female POV's, with similar jobs it was at time difficult to differentiate the characters and their backstory/current storylines. For this reason I'd recommend reading over audio for this one.

When We Had Wings plunged readers into WWII history from the start.
It described the enemy's capture of the Philippines, as well as the captivity of American and Filipino nurses.

Eleanor, Penny, and Lita were three extremely brave and strong nurses.

Each woman had her own point of view and backstory.
Eleanor was trying to outrun her grief from home.
Penny held many secrets.
Lita felt like an outsider in a war tearing her country apart.

Their friendship is built on blood, loss, and mud. Every day, they are put to the test with trauma, anger, and unimaginable scenarios.

Their time as POWs was terrifying, but they were determined to endure whatever came their way. It was heartbreaking to read about their experiences with physical and mental suffering, illness, and starvation. Despite the above, there was resistance.

The women's bond was everything. It made the story for me.

When We Had Wings completely drew me in from the very first chapter. I’ll admit—I didn’t know much about this part of World War II history, especially the experiences of military nurses in the Philippines. This book opened my eyes and brought a deeply human side to a part of the war that’s not often talked about. As someone in the military myself, I felt a strong connection to the story and an even deeper respect for the real-life women who inspired it.

One of my favorite things was the structure. The chapters are written from multiple points of view and always note the date and location, which helped anchor me in the timeline and gave such a strong sense of place. The switching perspectives between the three women kept things engaging and made their individual struggles and growth feel personal.

The bond between these three women was the true heart of the novel. The friendship, strength, and loyalty they showed—especially under such brutal circumstances—was powerful and emotional. There was a touch of romance, but it never overshadowed the core theme of female friendship and survival, which I appreciated.

Beautifully written, well-researched, and emotionally resonant—this is historical fiction done right. Highly recommend for anyone who loves stories of courage, connection, and the untold sides of war.

One of my favorite genres to read is historical fiction especially during the the time WWII was occuring. This book was great read. It takes place in the Philippines before Pearl Harbor is attacked to the end of the war. The book is written in dual pov and will definitely tug at your heart when reading it because of everything these women endured and overcame during the war. The narrator of the audiobook was amazing especially with the pronunciations of locations, names, and phrases. This book kept me wanting more until the very end and felt everything that these characters felt. This is perfect book about perseverance and resilience during the world's most difficult time. Definitely a book I want to purchase and use during my lectures.

When I read a historical fiction book, this is what I want. There was another historical fiction book by a well known author that examined the military nurses from Vietnam that quickly spiraled from a moving glimpse of what the women endured and went into bad soap opera territory. If you also were frustrated and wanted a true historical fiction novel, this is it. A beautiful story of resilience, friendship and bravery. And let’s not act like there aren’t other relationships but they only add to the story, not distract.

The audiobook was ok but I think really could have benefited from unique narrators for each of the 3 nurses.

When We Had Wings takes us soaring into the tumultuous skies of the Philippines in 1941, where three remarkable women—Nurses Eleanor Lindstrom, Penny Franklin, and Lita Capel—find themselves caught between duty, danger, and the unbreakable bonds of friendship. From the moment they step into the Army Navy Club in Manila, you'll feel the warm glow of camaraderie and the promise of escape from their pasts. But as the clouds gather and war clouds loom overhead, this idyllic setting quickly turns into a harrowing battleground. These brave women become the "Angels of Bataan," facing combat conditions, imprisonment, and unimaginable hardships. Yet, through squalid living, food shortages, and the brutal realities of war, their resilience shines brighter than ever, driven by hope and the strength of their friendship. Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner craft a compelling narrative that balances heart-pounding tension with heartfelt moments of sisterhood. It's a story that will have you cheering for these heroines as they navigate the darkest days of WWII with courage and grace. A truly inspiring read that reminds us of the extraordinary power of hope and friendship amid chaos.

A book based about the Angels of Bataan during WWII, a tragic but beautifully written story about the Military nurses. It was a heartfelt story of loss, survival, hope, love and friendships.
The narrator did an excellent job in narrating the book.
Thank you NetGalley and to the publisher Harper Muse for the audiobook.

This audiobook was engaging from the start. However about a third of the way through, it was just lagging, and lost my interest. Sorry to say I haven't finished it. I may pick it back up at some point and I'll amend my review then.

Thank you netgalley for the prerelease audiobook.

I really enjoyed this story and the female friendship and connections made and maintained in the midst of war and dark times.

I had a bit of a hard time trying to remember which camp the characters were actually in while the chapters basically jumped back and forth with all three of them.

The ending was very gratifying. I especially lived how each found their own path after the war but connections brought them back to each other!

This was a great book, and my first WWII historical fiction. Following our 3 protagonists over there years of being POWs in the Philippines and all the struggles they went through was heartbreaking while also being quite hopeful. My only critique is that I don't feel like we really established their friendship before we got thrown into the war and they get separated. But the last 100 pages of the this book had me tearing up over and over again.

An engaging historical fiction read about the amazing women nurses in the Pacific theater of World War 2. I would recommend When We Had Wings to anyone who enjoys historical fiction and stories about strong women.

When We Had Wings

In listening to this audiobook, you really were able to connect with the characters. The Narrator did a good job to bring each character to life. The books pace was good and getting to know Eleanor, Lita and Penny through some of the most trials and tribulations of this era of their life.
As the three nurses travel through the war, they didn’t always have each other but they still had much Percervernce. Hearing them interact with the soldiers both broken and a danger to them as women. You find yourself deep within a world where your heart fights for them as fierce as themselves.
My love of WWII and my fellow Nurses that have paved the way for us today hold a special place in my heart. I will be recommending this to every Nurse and Historical Fiction lover and even those who are not! This is the two main reasons I picked this audiobook, and I am happy I did!

In this emotionally resonant and deeply researched novel, three authors come together to spotlight a powerful and often underrepresented chapter of World War II history—the story of the Angels of Bataan. Through the perspectives of Eleanor Windstrom, Penny Franklin, and Lita Capel, we follow the journey of three courageous nurses stationed in the South Pacific, who ultimately become among the first female prisoners of war.

The historical setting is immersive and meticulously rendered. One of the novel’s greatest strengths is its inclusion of Lita, a Filipina nurse whose voice broadens the narrative beyond the traditional American viewpoint. Her storyline adds rich cultural depth and highlights the interconnectedness of those affected by war across national lines. The authors vividly portray the unimaginable conditions these women endure—scarcity, disease, trauma—while never losing sight of their bravery and humanity.

From a structural standpoint, the novel is ambitious. While the distinct voices of the three protagonists add scope, I found myself wishing for a tighter focus. The transitions between their narratives occasionally felt uneven, and the emotional bond between them didn’t fully resonate. Each storyline was strong individually—so much so, in fact, that this could have easily become a compelling trilogy, allowing each woman’s journey the space and attention it deserved.

As an audiobook, Saskia Maarleveld brings a strong performance, but the format struggles to carry the weight of the novel’s complexity. With so many characters and shifting perspectives, it became difficult at times to track the narrative flow. A full-cast production or dual narration might have better supported the ambitious storytelling.

Despite these structural challenges, this novel is a heartfelt and important tribute to the resilience of wartime nurses and the enduring strength of women in history. Its focus on the South Pacific and its commitment to including multiple cultural viewpoints make it stand out within the WWII fiction genre. While the audiobook has limitations, the print edition is highly recommended for readers who want to fully absorb the depth of each character’s experience.