As a lover of historical fiction, I was thrilled to be asked to take part in the blog tour to promote Radar Girls, by Sara Ackerman. This novel tells the little-known story of the women who became radar technicians in Hawaii during WWII. I loved the historical details, strong female friendships, and a swoon-worthy romance. This novel was both entertaining, and enlightening.

What I Liked:

Historical Details:

Once again, I learned something new with this novel. We've all heard about "Rosie The Riveter", but I had no idea that women worked directly with radar technology. These women quickly learned all about radar, and aerial navigation so they could identify and guide planes among the Hawaiian Islands. This was to free up the men for fighting. But this was an opportunity for women to shine. Women still faced men who doubted they were intelligent enough to master the skills necessary for this type of work. And they faced sexual harassment, as well.

Main Character:

Daisy is not a likely main character. She is a loner, who doesn't think very highly of herself. Although she has a talent for training horses, she rarely receives any praise, This all changes when the war breaks out and Daisy, like so many women of her time, is called upon to get out of her comfort zone, learn some new skills, and make a contribution to the war effort.

I love how Daisy rises to the challenge, despite her trepidations, to find that she is rather good at technical things! As her confidence grows, she starts to develop friendships with some of the other women, and even with Walker, the son of the rich landowner who's ranch she has worked at for years. But can Daisy overcome her self-doubt?

Female Friendships:

Daisy, usually a loner, starts to form friendships with the other women in the WARD unit. Yes, there are the usual petty squabbles that happen when you put many different young women together. At times, jealousies over men made for a high school-like atmosphere. But, more often than not, the women were supportive, and helped each other. Where Daisy was quick to understand the complex computations needed to guide planes, she wasn't great at communicating. Other women were talented speakers but found the math parts challenging. The women shared what they knew and helped out others who needed tutoring.

The reason for this was simple. This was wartime. Anyone who lived in Hawaii witnessed, first-hand, the attacks on Pearl Harbor. The residents wanted to do anything they could to prevent that from happening again. But the women were also sensitive to when someone lost a husband, brother, or boyfriend fighting in the war. There was plenty of misery, as the American losses mounted. And each woman knew they could be the next person to feel such a loss. So, I really appreciated how kind the group was to each other.

Romance:

It wouldn't be a book about war without a desperate romance. Daisy has grown up in working with horses on the ranch of a rich and powerful family. She was always considered one of the workers, and the family always made sure that Daisy knew her place. When the dashing son of the ranch owner, Walker, starts to pay attention to her, Daisy feels confused. He couldn't actually be interested in her, right? But, slowly it becomes apparent that Walker has always found Daisy fascinating. I liked that their relationship progressed slowly and was based on mutual interests, as well as attraction.

Story:

The story centers around how the women become an integral part of the war effort as radar technicians. It shows us a technical side to the war effort that was really complex and interesting. There is always the threat of another invasion to Hawaii, and that propels all the residents of the Island into action. I liked how the author was able to build tension in the story from this threat, and the everyday threat of airplane pilots getting lost and not making it back to the landing strip. The women's work was literally savings lives each day.

There was also a side story involving Daisy's family and Walker's family that provided added obstacles for the couple. Although this was a minor part of the book, it was something that was threaded throughout the novel, and was part of a satisfying resolution at the end of the story.

What Was Missing:

Although I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I wish there would have been more than a passing acknowledgement of the Japanese-American's who were placed in internment camps during the war. I know this wasn't the focus of the story, and the author perhaps felt this wasn't her story to tell. But I wish Daisy and her friends would have known a Japanese-American family and showed concern for what was happening to them. I think it would have added to the story, and given an even deeper insight to life on the Island during the war.

RADAR GIRLS by Sara Ackerman is an engrossing historical fiction story featuring young women on the island of Hawaii after the attack on Pearl Harbor who are enlisted and become the Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD). This is a standalone historical fiction novel with a romance subplot set on a beautiful island with plenty of real life drama and intrigue.

Daisy Walker is more comfortable around horses than people and is working on the Montgomery Ranch to support herself and her mother. Then the attack on Pearl Harbor throws the island and the entire country into a panic. The men are needed for the front and Daisy is recruited with many other young women to be trained to take over their jobs in the newly formed Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD) to protect the Pacific coast and help pilots find their way back home.

For the first time in her life, Daisy builds bonds with other women who like and respect her. The women are a diverse group who learn a strategic top secret skill and learn to work together even through their differences in education and social status. As the women bond, it is not all work, as the group gets caught up in several schemes and adventures. Daisy also learns about relationships from her friends and begins to fall for her neighbor who has always seemed out of reach.

Set between the attack on Pearl Harbor and VJ Day, this historical fiction drew me in immediately and I was sorry when it was over. Ms. Ackerman did amazing research not only on the time period and location during the early 1940’s, but on radar and all the skills the women needed to learn and do their jobs. Daisy is a memorable and strong lead character who matures and grows in confidence in herself as the story progresses. She also learns how strong the bond can be between female friends. The romance subplot between Daisy and Walker was realistically paced and intertwined with her relationship growth with the other women. All the secondary characters were believably written and Daisy’s female friends stood out. All of the story elements kept me turning the pages.

I highly recommend this historical fiction story!

A peaceful Hawaii Sunday morning swim is shattered by a sneak attack that plunged her world into war. Daisy answered the call for a new all-female secret war project that had great impact, brought her new, unforgettable friendships and a romance she never dreamed of.

Daisy grew up fishing the surf, working horses at the Montgomery Ranch, and trying to keep her grief-torn, apathetic mother and their home in order. She grew up faster than some, even if she did never finish school, came from humble circumstances, and was looked down on by families like the Montgomerys. Daisy loved her father and misses him after his death, too, but someone has to keep it together. This ability holds her in good stead when she loses her job at the ranch and then takes up her country’s call to become one of the women air-raid defense (or WARDs) in a field that only men have done in the past. Her head for mathematics and her coolness in the face of an emergency take her right into the heart of the work, but doesn’t prepare her for matters of the heart when she starts to fall for a man who seems out of her reach even if they have developed a surprising friendship in spite of his family’s disapprobation.

Daisy has always stood alone and suddenly she is part of something and has friends who respect and like her. They all work tirelessly to learn what they must and do their jobs to read the radar and bring the pilots home safe while watching for the enemy, but Daisy and her core group of friends get up to some mischief and adventure, too, from hiding a stray cat mascot, discovering their lingerie thief, road trips, and war-time making-do. Daisy is desperate to find the Montgomery’s lost thoroughbred that she had responsibility over before the Japanese attack scared the horse and it was never seen again. Her friends help her work to solve this disappearance. They all support each other through loss, personal struggles, and men.

The setting of 1940s Hawaii, WWII, and the WARDs is carefully painted as are the well-developed characters. There is an even flow of suspense, fun, romance, drama, and then the build during the big climactic Battle of Midway.

All in all, this was an abso-fab introduction to the author’s work that kept me thoroughly riveted from the beginning. I loved this dive into women’s history and WWII fiction with a generous dollop of friendship and a dash of romance set in a tropical paradise. Those who enjoy Historical Women’s Fiction and WWII Fiction should definitely consider themselves a target audience.

Daisy and her mom have been living on the margins in Hawaii. Daisy, who works at the Montgomery family stables, has sneaked Moon, a very expensive horse, out on the morning of 7 December- and he takes off in fright when the waves of Japanese bombers begins. She finds herself jobless until she's recruited for the Women's Air Raid Defense, basically the women who kept the ships, planes, and Hawaii as safe as possible during WWII. This is a fascinating look at a piece of history that I'd not known before. Ackerman does an excellent job of explaining how the women worked and a superior job of creating characters you will care about. Daisy, Betty, Lei, and the rest are wonderful. You'll root for them as they navigate love, loss, and hope. There's a romance, of course, but it's not a clear line to a happy ending (no spoilers from me). And Daisy never forgets about Moon, searching for the horse whenever possible. Thanks to the publisher for the ARC. An excellent read about strong women who took on and succeeded at a challenging and important role during WWII.

If you enjoy character driven historical fiction with strong female characters doing jobs formerly unavailable to them, then you’ll want to read Radar Girls. Set in Hawaii just as Pearl Harbor is being bombed, Daisy Wilder loses her beloved job at the horse ranch where her father was the head trainer until his death. Daisy has been a loner for much of her life which is exacerbated by the need to be the sole support and care for her mother and herself. When she gets the opportunity to join the Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD), she jumps at it. Her mother leaves for the mainland for safety, and Daisy’s journey to confidence, competence, friendship, and love begins.

Perhaps the plot is a bit predictable, but that did not take away from my enjoyment of the characters, setting, and subject matter. I will definitely be recommending this book. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Radar Girls by Sarah Ackerman was a refreshing new take on the events of December 7, 1941. While most historical novels focusing on the attack on Pearl Harbor feature similar perspectives, Radar Girls looks into the little-known lives of females involved in the attack. The story is made complete with a lush, evocative Hawaii setting, making this book a perfect beach read with real-life context that is not too heavy but at the same time is rich and meaningful.

Based on true events, Radar Girls takes us to Hawaii during WWII, Daisy is a great character and this novel is definitely worth a read! Historical Fiction with a different twist than any other.
Thank you NetGalley.

Hawaii must have seemed like the ideal place to live until the attack on Pearl Harbor and although Daisy Wilder had been through some things, a house on the beach and working with horses was the perfect set up. Once the attack on Pearl Harbor happened, the military were looking for women to fill some of the roles that men were having to leave as they left for war and Daisy and some of the local women were trained and able to help in the air defense group.

Another great historical fiction that takes a detailed view of a part of history that some of us may not know about, while I knew that women took a part in the military effort, to read specific stories of women and the jobs they filled was entertaining. I loved that the author included a variety of women and we got to know different women who were living in Hawaii and their different responses to the jobs they were taking on and the men off at war.

With a bit of romance sprinkled in, but still maintaining a focus on the women and their jobs, this book was great. I say this often, but if you feel as though you have read ALL the World War II historical fiction books, I would try this one, it felt unique with a focus on women and the location of Hawaii.

3.5 stars

I received an ARC from the publisher via NetGalley and am voluntarily posting a review. All opinions are my own.

Every time I pick up Sara Ackerman’s books, I find out something I haven’t heard about before. And with Radar Girls, it’s no different. Despite being born and raised in Hawaii, I hadn’t heard of the Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD), formed in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbor. But as Ackerman writes in her Author’s note, she didn’t know about them either until stumbling on them during research for a prior book, so it’s not exactly public knowledge.

The research Ackerman did comes through, depicting all the trials and tribulations the women went through, such as navigating a male dominated workforce or dealing with loss of loved ones and the other realities of life at war.

This is probably my least favorite Ackerman novel, however. I did like Daisy, and felt she was a character worth rooting for. But I also felt like there were some side tangents with her character that distracted from the main story a bit, like the story of her looking for a horse that had gone missing during the attack.

This is another solid book from Sara Ackerman, and while I didn’t love it as much as her previous books, it still has a lot to recommend it for those who love World War II historical fiction.

This quick read highlights the Radar Girls, women who were recruited after Pearl Harbor to track planes in the skies around Hawaii.

I found this book to be very enjoyable. It’s a wonderful story of women doing jobs typically done by a man and doing the job well. There is friendship among the woman that is powerful. There is also love in the story with some of the women’s husbands fighting in the war and new romances being developed by others.

I would recommend this book to anyone looking to read a story about a lessor known area of WWII.

The story is set in Hawaii amid the Pearl Harbor attack and creation of the first Women’s Air Raid Defense (WARD). a top-secret group of women who were recruited to help track planes in the Pacific skies and also to guide pilots in onto blacked-out runways. Although always fearful of another attack by the Japanese on Hawai’i, these courageous women took the vacated places of male soldiers who were called into battle.

I completely connected with this story. My father-in-law (who I never got to meet) was a navy sub spotter who took off and returned to Hawaii between missions. I couldn’t help but think Daisy and her gal pals were talking him home each time he returned.

I loved all the characters and their friendships and how they bonded during this stressful, and sometime heart-breaking time. There were no big surprises, but I read the book without wanting to stop just to see how it wrapped up. I love learning new things about WWII, and Ackerman’s research rings true and make a marvelous read.
My thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin for an advance copy of this book.

Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman

There was some action and some romance to tell of the WARD, Women’s Air Raid Defense in Oahu after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The story started strong, but got bogged down along the way.

Young Daisy made her way by being self-sufficient. She loved horses and was good in math, which all worked to her advantage. Becoming a radar girl to help the war effort after the attack on Pearl Harbor opened her eyes to another world of belonging and friendships.

Enter her unexpected love interest and the rest of the story (conflicts and resolutions) falls predictably into place. The descriptions of Oahu are lovely and the characters are likable, but the story falters due to it’s predictability and lack of a strong build up.

Thank you to #Harlequin and #NetGalley for an ARC.

Daisy, on the day of Pearl Harbor, was swimming in the ocean with her bosses' horse, Moon, tied up nearby. when all the airplanes flew in bombing, Moon was scared and he ran away, disappearing for months. Daisy is fired for taking and losing Moon. Now she has no job to help support her mom. Fortunately, she is invited to join the women who are to read the radar for the military. These women are taught how to map portions, vectors, radio communication. Still they have personal lives with the stress of miliary husband's fighting, boy friends, love, death.
Sara Akermann writes a tale that is difficult to put down. It describes well the period on Oahu in 1941. So read, enjoy, and learn more about these valiant women....WARD [women air raid defense].

Rating: 4
Would I recommend it? Yes
Would I read more by this author? Yes
Now on to my thoughts
First off like always I want to say a huge thank you to the publisher MIRA-HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing (U.S. & Canada)
the author Sara Ackerman , and to NetGalley for the invite to join this blog tour as well as letting me read and review it.If you known anything about me you will already know that I love reading Historical fiction especially when its based on WW 2 , as well as finding new things to learning about that make me want to go look that subject up, and this book did that in so many ways. I knew that in the war they had the girls to help with the pilots but not what their job consist of. And this author did an amazing job bring their story to life, because its part of our history that needs to be told. And the story is written a well researched historical novel that's about bright and courageous women who deserve to be better know and not forgetting like it sometimes happens

Radar Girls is a book about determination, grit, courage, loyalty, love and friendship during WWII .

The book takes place in the Pacific and I really enjoyed having the book take place in Hawaii.

Daisy Wilder joins the group of women to form WARD the acronym for Women's Air Raid Defense and what a group of women they turned out to be.

How can you not be impressed as they learn how to track warplanes and bring the pilots home hopefully.

The pages turn quickly and the book was so well written I felt that I was in that bunker as well and cringed when the air raid sirens would go off.

This is my first book by Sara Ackerman and I have already ordered her others.

Thanks to NetGalley and Harelquin Trade Publishing -( U.S. and Canada) Mira books for a fascinating read.

“An extraordinary story inspired by the real Women’s Air Raid Defense, where an unlikely recruit and her sisters-in-arms forge their place in WWII history.”

I thoroughly enjoyed this novel detailing the little-known story about the top secret mission young American women in Hawaii took on during WWII. The WARD (Women’s Air Raid Defense) program provided critical communication support to a painfully stretched military. Set in the time between the battles of Pearl Harbor, and Midway, the differing outcomes were a result of this program. This single timeline historical fiction book was a quick read, featuring elements of my perfect summer novel: history, romance, and smart women making a big difference. The Hawaiian setting was wonderfully depicted and a welcomed change of pace from other WWII novels! Just as the female pioneers of Hidden Figures (by Margot Lee Shutterfly) brought astronauts back to Earth, these strong and endearing “sisters” brought many pilots home to their loved ones.

Especially for readers who enjoyed The Lost Girls of Paris by Pam Jenoff, The Flight Girls by Noelle Salazar, and The Light Over London by Julia Kelly.

Review to be shared on Goodreads and Instagram (@bookshelfbybeckwith) closer to publication date .
Thank you for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

Radar Girls by Sara Ackerman is a page turning historical fiction story about the women who helped guide the planes around Hawaii in World War II. Opening with the attack on Pearl Harbor, Ackerman takes you on a tour of what Hawaii was like during the 1940’s. The story centers around a young woman named Daisy Wilder, who is trying to take car of her mother while living life her way—by the water and surrounded by horses. She stumbles into a military man who is looking for women to take over a military job as the men are being shipped out.

Through her job as a radar girl, Daisy begins to gain confidence in herself. She finally has friends—others that she can count on—as well as a job with purpose, that she loves. And amongst all this, she of course, falls in love with a pilot whose family doesn’t approve.

I couldn’t put this book down! I loved the characters and the interaction between all the woman who came together, thrust into this new world of the military. If you like historical fiction, I would recommend this one!

In the wake of the attack on Pearl harbor, Daisy Wilder is invited to be part of a new program: the WARD (Women's Air Raid Defense). Though she hesitates due to never finishing high school, she soon finds the program a challenge she needed. Defying those who insist women are not up to the job, Daisy and the other recruits work to keep their island safe.

I had never heard of the WARD before I began to read this book. Through Daisy's eyes we learn the training these women went through to get up to speed on how to guide pilots to blacked out airstrips and identify air traffic in the sky. It was fascinating to learn the lingo used during the time. The prejudice against the women was a major obstacle for them to overcome.

Daisy herself was an alright character to follow. There was nothing especially off-putting about her, but nothing memorable either. She had family issues that weighed on her mind, but I'm not sure I will remember anything else about her in a few weeks. It was interesting to watch her grow form someone who felt she had no friends to having many female friends who had her back.

The plot, for me, was slow to begin, but once it did I was eager to see what happened next. It was paced well and I am glad I read it. Readers looking for World War II fiction may enjoy this one.

The roles women filled during WWII make great novels. In this story, young women filling highly technical positions with just a few weeks of training strained my imagination. The story itself was very interesting but the writing felt very weak, especially at the beginning. I did love the bonds of friendship and support that formed between the women. In many ways it reads like a fairy tale where the good are very, very good and the bad are horrid. No surprises here.

Thanks to Harleqin/MIRA and NetGalley for the ARC to read and review.

Radar Girls is a well-researched historical (romance) novel that tells the story of the women who worked as part of the Women's Air Raid Defence in Hawaii in the aftermath of the attack on Pearl Harbour. In order to free up male soldiers for other duties, a group of women were trained to use radar to guide American pilots attempting to land on blacked out airstrips and to track unidentified aircraft in the airspace near the Hawaiian islands. The story is focussed on Daisy Wilder and her three closest friends in the program and their work as radar girls but also includes romantic story arcs.

One of the main reasons that I love historical fiction is the opportunity to learn more about historical events. I enjoyed this aspect of Radar Girls as I have read quite a bit about how WWII played out in Europe but knew very little about the events that took place in the Pacific. I also enjoyed learning about the Women's Air Raid Defence and their contribution to the war effort for the U.S. in Hawaii. The romantic storyline fell flat for me a bit but overall it was still an enjoyable read.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with a digital ARC.