I enjoyed the setting of this WWII historical fiction novel. It showed a different view point of what you typically get with WWII historical fiction. The characters were put together well, and you felt like you were right there with them as a WARD yourself. My only downside is that it almost had too much of a happy ending. Everything was resolved perfectly, which I typically love in a book. But with historical fiction you are typically left to pick up your shredded heart off of the ground. Still, an amazing book and I look forward to reading more by the author.

While conducting research for her previous novel, The Lieutenant's Nurse, author Sara Ackerman happened upon information about the Women's Air Raid Defense (WARD), a program she had never heard about growing up in Hawaii in the 1970s and hearing stories about World War II from her parents and grandparents. It was formed by Emergency Order 9063 immediately after the Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor. The women were recruited from Hawaii and the mainland, sworn to strictest secrecy, and assigned to command centers and radar stations established on each island. They were hastily trained about radar, codes, and complicated calculations. They were taught to guide pilots as they landed aircraft on runways darkened for security purposes, or talk them through treacherous flights back from the frontlines of battle. Their code name was Rascal, while the military personnel manning the radar stations were referred to as Oscar.

The story opens on December 7, 1941, with an action-packed first chapter entitled "The Sky Falls." Daisy Wilder, is swimming near Waialua, O'ahu on that peaceful Sunday morning when the horse she borrowed, Moon, appears to have been spooked by something. Daisy was supposed to ride Ka'ena, but took Moon instead without the owner's permission, planning to return the beautiful horse before anyone noticed he was missing. But first, she needed to bring fish home for herself and her mother, Louise, who remained devastated by the tragic death of Daisy's father. But as Daisy dove, "all around her, the water hummed. She tasted fuel on her tongue." She assumes she is hearing the sounds of military training coming from the skies, but soon "a deep vibration of the water all around," planes with red circles under their wings flying directly over her, and the sound of gunfire cause Moon to rear up and run off before Daisy can get to him. She then watches as a Japanese plane chases a P-40 Warhawk, but the American pilot sends the enemy flyer to a watery grave before navigating his own plane toward the nearby airstrip. As she runs back toward their modest home to check on her mother, "a wall of planes appeared over the Wai'anae Mountains. Every single one of the planes had red circles painted on their wings or sides. A whole sky full of Japanese planes. Hundreds. And not one American plane in sight."

Twenty-three-year-old Daisy has worked for Hal Montgomery -- the same man who employed her father -- for seven years. But a few days later, with Moon still missing, is fired by Montgomery. No sooner is she out of a job than she encounters General Danielson who persuades her to join WARD by offering her $140 per month plus meals, as well as officer status and safe travel for Louise to the mainland to stay with Daisy's aunt so that Daisy will not have to worry about her for the first time in a decade. It's an opportunity that short-haired, trouser-wearing, horse-loving, outdoorsy Daisy cannot pass up. She is unlike Peg Montgomery, the beautiful, college-educated daughter of her former employer, who is also recruited by the General. And not the kind of woman that Peg's brother, the dashing Walker, a Navy pilot who was flying one of those P-40 Warhawks on that fateful morning, would find attractive.

The women meet at 'Iolani Palace, the former home of Hawaiian kings and queens and the site where Queen Liliuokalani was held hostage while the islands were overthrown. Now used to conduct secret military training, Daisy and nineteen others are informed they are about to perform "some of the most important work any woman in this nation has ever done" after an intense course of instruction. They will be using radar (radio detection and ranging) to detect aircraft and ships, with six stations mounted on O'ahu. They are introduced to each other, fitted for uniforms, and advised that they will be deemed military officers for their safety. "If captured by the enemy, they will have to treat you according to international prison of war standards." Some of the women, like Lucy, are military wives, some are married to prominent businessmen, and Fluff, along with a few others, was recruited from the University of Hawai'i. Peg and her glamorous friend with designs on Walker, Thelma, are part of the contingent, as well. Betty Yates, from Louisiana, lives in the navy yard with her husband, Chuck, a pilot. Daisy, who dropped out of school after the tenth grade and began working at the Montgomery stables, worries about her ability to pass the rigorous mandatory tests.

Ackerman weaves a compelling and entertaining story about the women's experiences in WARD. She describes their living conditions and the relationships they form, with Daisy always at the center of the tale. Peg and Thelma are the quintessential mean girls who look down on Daisy. Daisy's confidence is bolstered when she achieves the highest score on the initial standardized test. Every character was impacted by the attack on Pearl Harbor and, with a war now raging, has reason to worry about her own, as well as her loved ones' safety. Some are better than others at rising above their petty differences and forging alliances, but in order to carry out their mission, they must find a way to become a dedicated team because so much is at stake. After all, detecting and plotting movement is one thing. "Discerning between friend or foe" is another.

Ackerman grippingly portrays the intense pressure the women feel to succeed, as well as some infuriating ways that they are treated as lesser than their male counterparts despite the responsibility they shoulder. And believably illustrates the workplace abuse to which they were subjected. For instance, Daisy is among the women who excel and are moved up in the program to commence more complex work at Little Robert, the Information and Control Center for the Pacific theater. When they enter the facility, Colonel Nixon announces to the men finishing their shift, "We have a truck full of Bettys here to take over for you." And chastises Daisy when she speaks out of turn in an effort to assist as Fluffy flounders, advising her, "If you think like a man, speak like a man, and act like a man, you should do fine." Daisy is nonplussed, having learned years ago at the ranch that there were "two kinds of men: those who liked women and those who didn't. No amount of smarts or competence could change that fact." Ackerman's writing shines most brightly and the story is most engaging when she depicts the gravity of the women's circumstances in scenes such as that one.

As time passes without further battle, everyone is on high alert, painfully aware that the islands were caught off-guard the first time and another surprise attack could be imminent. The women's stress intensifies as they complete their training and commence their six-hour shifts. Additionally, Daisy begins patrolling the island on horseback and spending time with Walker. Eventually, she learns the shocking truth about how her father died and the surrounding circumstances.

Ackerman deftly ramps up the dramatic tension to an powerful, nail-biting, and realistic climax. Daisy has failed to heed Betty's wise advice -- "You don't want a pilot" -- and is pressed into duty with everything she cares about on the line. Rehearsed scenarios become real-life crises in Ackerman's skilled telling. Daisy, the unassuming Hawai'an girl that haughty Mrs. Montgomery tried to convince General Danielson was not up to the challenge of serving in WARD, learns, through her experiences, just how powerful, capable, and resilient she is. As do the women with whom she serves and cements unyielding friendships born out of shared challenges, heartbreak, and triumph during a uniquely extraordinary time in America's history.

With compassion, and evident admiration and affection for her characters, Ackerman pulls readers into their struggles and joys. She effectively transports readers to an idyllic island paradise where America's innocence was shattered on a December morning eight decades ago. Her riveting and moving story pays homage to the women whose immense contribution to the war effort has not been taught in classrooms. Ackerman says, "I hope I have done justice to these amazing women!" She has indeed.

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
<cover image>
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.