Thank you NetGalley and HarperMuse Audiobooks for giving me a chance to listen to this book.
This is a tough one for me to review. I have read and really liked books by 2 of the authors.
However, I don’t seem to be one that enjoys the multi author storytelling. This is the second of the type and I felt the same about the other multi author book.
I also think I went into this with very high expectations. As a retired Navy nurse, I was super excited to read some history of those that bravely walked before me. But it did not feel authentic. I never felt the military culture. I also did not feel horrified when there was plenty of horrific things. Honestly, it felt like a romance book. After ready true accounts of real prisoners of war, this fell flat.
I know I am in the minority with an average rating.
I am also a huge audiobook reader. I have listened to this narrator before, but she did not seem to be a good fit for this story.
However, kudos to the authors for spotlighting the nurses of WWII.
I will be deep diving into other books and articles for sure.
But why does the cover have them all in same uniform?

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my copy of When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld in exchange for an honest review. It published October 18, 2022.
Holy smokes, just when you think you've read every possible setting for WWII a book like this comes out! I had no clue that the Philippines were affected during WWII, and I'm so glad that this book was written and that the history is being put out there. I think it is so important to bring history to light, to prevent it from happening again. Also, I think it honors those who were affected.
Overall, this is your typical WWII novel, well-read, and interesting. A little hard to follow with multiple characters, so don't listen to it at too high of a speed!

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

Thanks to Harper Muse for the ALC.
What a book this was. I appreciated how these authors chose this part of WWII to write about. I've only read one other book about the Angels of Batan, so it was a welcome story when the WWII genre can feel oversaturated. It's told from the perspective of three nurses that were stationed in the Philippines and what life was like after the Japanese took over the island. I found these stories to be gruesome, which I feel like it should be because its war. It also was tender and heartbreaking. Penny, Lita, and Eleanor go through harrowing situations while nursing in various prison camps, internment camps, and struggle to survive under the harsh conditions they are forced to live in. I liked how the authors wrote each character so distinctly. They captured the little joys and major heartbreaks of these truly horrendous years these characters went through with stark honesty. I felt like I was there with the characters and I'm glad they took a wider scope to this story so it felt complete.
I also love Saskia Maareveld and thought her narration was so well done. She captures each character and brought them to life with her narration.

Title: When We Had Wings (audio book)
Author: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Genre: Historical fiction
Rating: 5 out of 5

The Philippines, 1941.

When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. 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 U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese 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, the women 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.

I really enjoyed this! The narrator was personable and clear, and I was drawn into the story from the very beginning. I loved all three main characters, and even the secondary characters were well-done and became people I cared about. I couldn’t wait to find out how everything worked out for these three women! This is well-worth reading.

Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner are bestselling authors. When We Had Wings is their newest novel.

(Galley courtesy of Harper Muse in exchange for an honest review.)

A sweeping story across a decade of three women’s lives. Well told and brought forth interest in the Philippine involvement in WWII. This hasn’t been something I’ve read very much about.

The narrator of the book was very good. I’m unclear if it is because of the platform I listened on or whether it is because it is an ARC but when sped up the sound had an echoey-tinny quality that was slightly irritating.

3.5 stars

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/

I was very excited when I was approved to listen to this book, as I have read and enjoyed several books by Susan Meissner and Kristina McMorris. I am unfamiliar with Ariel Lawhon. The story was also compelling to me, as my father fought in World War II in the Pacific theater, and I can remember him taking me to a "Bataan Day" parade every year in my hometown. He said it was in memory of the "Bataan Death March" in the Philippines, but I don't remember learning or hearing much about this event in the History books. And, I am a nurse. I have worked with many Filipina nurses over the years, and although they loved to talk about their country, they never mentioned this horrible time.
At first, I had some difficulty connecting with the three nurses that were the main characters in the book. The story seemed hard to follow, as the three nurses were assigned to their various jobs and described the people that they met and worked alongside. I was struggling to keep going. After the Japanese took control of Manilla , the story became somewhat more interesting, but it wasn't until the second half of the book that I was able to focus on the events at hand. It did seem, however, that the actual events that transpired in the Philippines seemed to be skimmed over, maybe because there were three women with stories to tell. Although I realize that this book is historical fiction, I did feel that the historical events were somewhat lacking.
I wonder if it might have been better to focus on only two nurses, and give a more clear historical account of the events. I am still left wanting more information. That being said, I would like to thank Netgalley and HarperMuse for the opportunity to listen to this audiobook.

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 ARC and ALC 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.

Three authors come together to tell us the story of three women, called the Angels of Bataan. It relates the story of Eleanor Lindstrom, Penny Franklin, and Lita Capel.

Stationed in the Philippines, these nurses felt they had achieved paradise. The met at the Army Navy Club in Manila and formed a friendship. With all of their secrets, they were looking for an escape and the Philippines seemed to offer that.

However, World War 2 intervened and the three women do all they can, after being captured and confined to a POW camp to allay the sufferings of other prisoners and the children.

The brutality of the Japanese, long documented in books such as The Rape of Nanking, was brought forward in this story. However, the bravery of these women, their fight for their captors to follow the rules of the Geneva Conference while the women and all the prisoners suffer through hatred, starvation, deprivation, and cruelty They were all courageous and stalwart. These women saved many lives and gave of themselves without a thought about their personal safety and the losses they were suffering.

Truly a story of women who often seemed to have taken a back seat to the heroes who were men during this tragic time.

Thank you to Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for a copy of this heroic story. This book will publish on October 18, 2022

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

This book is very heart wrenching. I have been listening to it and at times fear I cannot go on. The author has definitely grasped my attention. The images have been imbedded in my brain. The voice of the narrator draws you into the story. I have yet to finish the book but will continue and update my review. So far it is gripping, tormenting me in ways no other book has done.

As a nurse and someones whose husband is currently deployed in the middle east this was a difficult book for me to read at times. However, I got through it and I enjoyed though not as much as I had hoped I would. The author did a great job with character development and the subject was told in a respectful and intelligent way. I would recommend this book to others.

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.

When We Had Wings was another unique story of WWII. It followed the story of American and Filipino Army/Navy nurses turned POWs in the Philippines. If you enjoy stories of women who defy the odds, treasure friendship and historical fiction, add this to your list. It was a fascinating and yet difficult look at the nurses stationed in the Philippines when Pearl Harbor happens and the ensuing occupation of Japanese troops. I truly enjoyed the audio version of this book and I am thankful to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the chance to listen to this before it came out. All opinion are my own. I had read and loved historical fiction books from Ariel Lawhon and Susan Meissner in the past and was really excited to see them team up to write this book. Now I will have to read one by Kristina McMorris.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for accepting my request to audibly read and review When We Had Wings.

Authors: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Published: 10/18/22
Narrator: Saskia Maarleveld
Genre: Historical Fiction -- Women's Fiction

The world vowed never to forget the atrocities that led to and occurred during World War II. During my lifetime, I have read innumerable nonfiction and historical fiction accounts of this period. Is it possible that I have read too much, are authors simply repeating what has already been written, and when is it time to move on and not forget? I have read this story before. There was nothing new. I really wanted my time back.

This has three authors, one of which I was familiar with, Meissner. After searching I found I had read The Shape of Mercy which was a 3 star forgettable read.

The three nurses that the book draws attention to have different ethnicities, backgrounds and experiences. Everything is minimalized as if the audience was teen to young adult. I appreciated being spared rape scenes. I appreciated that the physical abuse was minimal throughout the story. I appreciated that the cruel acts of starvation were not stretched out.

If the story is to reflect a time in history we are not to forget or repeat, I do not think the authors explained themselves well. Most notably, the reason for the internment camps was not explained. I had a difficult time keeping up with the personal/romantic interpersonal relationships of the three nurses and the respective men. At one point, I thought there was an insinuation one of the nurses was not eyeing a man. But, at this point I wanted the story to end.

My disappointments were many, however, the biggest being three authors and sketchy character development in a story already told.

When We Had Wings largely takes place during WWII, but it is a different take on historical fiction of this time period. Three women, all of them nurses, meet in the Philippine Islands just prior to Pearl Harbor. They for a fast friendship that is interrupted by Japan invading the islands. Each of the three women is taken to a different internment camp. This book is the story of how they endure the horrific treatment physically and how their friendship endures even through unimaginably brutal circumstances.

5/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the audio ARC of this book.

My grandfathers both served in the Pacific. While there are many WW2 fiction books based in Europe, the Pacific Theater is vastly under represented. One grandfather served in the Philippines, so this book was of particular interest to me. The trio of authors blended well together. I enjoyed this partly on audio and part in print. Both were wonderful!

This was a book that has intrigued me since I saw the cover, and read the description! It follows three friends, from different backgrounds, all aiding as nurses in the war, and their journey in which they endure hardships, overcome enemies, romances, as well as planning their escape.

What I loved: The time period! I love a good world II war historical fiction! Each women had such an intriguing background and I found myself excited to learn more about them as the chapters progressed. I also really enjoyed learning about the war in the Philippines. It’s not something I know much about it, and it was a topic I was truly fascinated with. I can’t forget the narrator. She had an ease about her that made it effortless to listen to!

What I did not love: It was a really long book. So, as the chapters progressed, the more drawn out it was at the end. I found myself only listening to finish the book, not necessarily to find out what happens.

Overall, I gave this book 3 out of five stars.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse Audio for the opportunity to listen to this book!

When We Had Wings is a historical fiction novel based on a true story. It is unlike any other historical fiction book I have read.

In this story we get to know three nurses, Eleanor Lindstrom, Penny Franklin, and Lita Capel. These three nurses form a friendship that will carry then through the war, the three years spent as prisoners of war, and love and loss while being prisoners of war.

I didn’t know anything about the first female prisoners of WWII. As the Japanese gained further control of the Philippine Islands, conditions for all prisoners rapidly deteriorated. These women were determined to use very limited resources to do all they could to keep as many people as possible alive. I can see why they were dubbed “the Angels of Bataan.” The result is a story that drew me in, breaking my heart at times, and teaching me so very much.

So much of WWII historical fiction focuses on Europe. This story took on a less common location and wrote about a part of the war not written about much.

The authors’ unique voices melded together into one unforgettable story that kept me absorbed the entire time. I can only hope they will write another story together in the future.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Harper Muse. All views are my honest opinion. hen We Had Wings is a historical fiction novel based on a true story. It is unlike any other historical fiction book I have read.

In this story we get to know three nurses, Eleanor Lindstrom, Penny Franklin, and Lita Capel. These three nurses form a friendship that will carry then through the war, the three years spent as prisoners of war, and love and loss while being prisoners of war.

I didn’t know anything about the first female prisoners of WWII. As the Japanese gained further control of the Philippine Islands, conditions for all prisoners rapidly deteriorated. These women were determined to use very limited resources to do all they could to keep as many people as possible alive. I can see why they were dubbed “the Angels of Bataan.” The result is a story that drew me in, breaking my heart at times, and teaching me so very much.

So much of WWII historical fiction focuses on Europe. This story took on a less common location and wrote about a part of the war not written about much.

The authors’ unique voices melded together into one unforgettable story that kept me absorbed the entire time. I can only hope they will write another story together in the future.

Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job bringing the characters and this story to life. I loved being able to listen to the story and become lost in the events and setting.

I voluntarily received a copy of this book from Harper Muse. All views are my honest opinion.