The last one is the strongest

An outstanding story of everlasting love during the devastating times of WWII. A story of the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese and the brave military that worked courageously to save lives amid the bombing.

This is a story of one such nurse Elizabeth, the commander's daughter. Her family, friends and her career in the Army Nurse Corps. The story of her time in Europe during the war and most of all her undying love for a pilot named Everett.

In her later years her granddaughter's husband Daniel asks her to tell the story of her time during the war. The story is the essence of this book.

The book gives a sad but very descriptive description of the horrors of war. The injuries suffered, and the trauma caused by it not only by the injured, but by the nurses caring for them.

The descriptions of Hawaii before, during, and after the attack on Pearl Harbor are so vivid as to give a glimpse to the person reading the story as if they are living the sights and sounds.

This was a good book about a horrific time in history, but it is more so about the bravery, courage and fortitude of those involved in the fighting of this war and especially the nurses.

I enjoyed reading this book, and I would highly recommend it.

Thanks to Shari J. Ryan and NetGalley for allowing me to read and review an advanced copy of the book.

This beautiful book was so easy to fall for and in love with. Told in first person (my favourite!) in a dual timeline (love!) by an independent and compassionate woman who served as a nurse in WWII, it really tugged at my heart and pulled me in immediately. The story is gentle in ways yet does not skim over the awful realities of Pearl Harbour and other areas during WWII. Though the story revolves around the war, the themes of love, family, faith, perseverance and hope really shine through.

Elizabeth Salzberg is tended by a personal carer. She has trouble remembering things but does have vivid memories of her life as a young woman. She reflects back to those years when she trained as a nurse in Hawaii where she lived on a base with her father and brothers and then worked in the war effort as her desire to contribute was incredibly strong. Her mother had done the same before she died five years previously and her father served as a naval commander. It was in her blood.

At first it seemed they were far removed from war...until Pearl Harbour was suddenly attacked. Lizzie steps into the thick of things. So does Everett Anderson, the atypical Hollywood star who had become a lieutenant. Through the book we see how the war affects them and their country as well as later on. Poignant, sobering and lovely. That ending!

Several quotes in the book stick with me. My favourite is by her beloved mother who obviously served with a willing spirit, "My life matters less" which is a fantastic reminder. Hopefully this author writes more!

My sincere thank you to Shari Ryan and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an ARC of this remarkable book. I thoroughly enjoyed it.

A book about WWII, with a young nurse figuring out what it means to follow her heart? Yes please!
Last One Home transitions back and forth between a more modern day setting with an elderly Elizabeth Salzberg struggling with her memory, to retelling her stories as a young women during the outbreak of WWII. Living on a military base in Hawaii, Lizzie is stuck in a woman of the house role caring for her commander father and military brothers while she completes her nursing training. She dreams of becoming more but her plans for the future start to become more complicated when she starts to fall in love with the new man on base, a former Hollywood star. As the love begins to grow, everything is upended by that fateful day in December 1941- the attack on Pearl Harbor.
Things I liked about this book: I of course love the perspective of a nurse and the focus on the contribution that women made during the war. I also like that the story included more than just a romance, but a woman figuring how to stay true to herself. I also thought that the modern elderly Lizzie's memories struggles where very touching.
Things I could've done without: I get that the language was "period appropriate" but the use of "doll face" and "sweet heart" seriously make me want to gag. I also thought some of the dialogue was a bit drawn out and unrealistic.
Overall it was an enjoyable read and I would recommend.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Historical fiction is my favorite genre so I was so excited to read this one! I love that the story is centered on Pearl Harbor, an important piece of history that I often don’t read about. This was a quick, fun read I couldn’t put down. The narrative around Everett and Elizabeth had me turning pages so fast, eager to see the destiny of their relationship. I love this one and will be recommending to all historical fictional fans.

I throughly enjoyed this book. Set during the attack on Pearl Harbour it was interesting as well as harrowing in its description. As I was reading I kept getting pictures in my head of the film of the same name. This book also has a dual time-line which I love. I do enjoy books like this. My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book in return for an honest review.

From start to finish, I absolutely loved this book. My only disappointment was when I came to the last page and the story of Elizabeth Salzburg had come to an end. Someone In Hollywood should snap up the rights to this because it would make a great movie!

We start off by meeting an elderly Elizabeth whose memory is fading. While her long term is still on point, her short one is not so when her grandson in law comes by asking questions about her her service during Pearl Harbor and WWII...she is able to recount in great detail what life was like for her and why she made the choices she made. We begin her journey as she’s winding down her nursing studies. She’s under the watchful eye of her naval commander father and even a trip to the beach is met with an escort home. When she meets the handsome Everett Anderson, she discovers her one true love and the person she wants to spend forever with. But...then the Japanese bomb Pearl and while her love for Everett is never going to go away...she also has this need to be something and do something bigger than herself so she enlists in the Army Nurses Corp. Before she deploys, she finds out that Everett’s deployment is not far behind hers and they promise each other to live for the day and they will find their way back to each other one day. Elizabeth goes above and beyond her call of duty as a nurse on the front lines and sees things that will scar her forever but she’s determined to help as many people as she can before she comes home.

What I love about this story is that it’s written in first person. I feel a deeper connection because I can see things from their point of view and the pictures that Elizabeth paints are so vivid and memorable, it’s as if you’re right there walking beside her. You want to feel what she feels and you can and do. I also love that this is yet another perspective of WWII that I haven’t read much about....a nurses for one but also from someone who experienced Pearl Harbor and then made their way to Europe.

What a great read!! Thank you NetGalley and Shari Ryan for early access to this gem of a book. I think I’ll keep it in my back pocket for a while because Elizabeth strength and bravery are so inspirational!

This was such a wonderful read! I haven't read a historical fiction that's kept me on the edge of my seat reading, like this one did, in a while. The characters were all well thought out and developed, the time jumps weren't ever confusing or disorientating and the writing was so vivid, I felt as if I was really there. Ryan does a remarkable job of pulling the emotions out of you as you read, this was an entertaining read from start to finish, one that I'm grateful to have experienced. A must read for historical fiction fans!

Twenty-year-old Elizabeth Salzberg, a nursing student and strong-willed Jewish woman, lived under the strict guidance of her father, a naval commander of the U.S. Pacific Fleet in Oahu, Hawaii.
She spends her days keeping a clean home and making meals for her father.

This was a really great story set in WWll. I absolutely loved this story and going on this journey with Elizabeth was breathtaking.
This book about family, faith and love is a great one. Any one who loves a good story set in this time will fall in love with this book

Pretty good - I was entertained enough to keep reading, and I did want the characters to have a happy ending. But I did feel a little distant from all the action, and it took me awhile to get through this. Overall, if you can't get enough WWII fiction, add this to your list.

This is an emotional roller coaster of a book! I liked our characters and their love story. This book definitely made me cry, keep the tissues handy. There are so many things I could say, but I am still kind of reeling from reading this one.

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC!

Such an amazing and well thought out story! The author vividly describes the happenings after Pearl Harbor was bombed and the happenings on the hospital ship as Elizabeth worked to help save lives immediately after the bombings. I did not want to put this book down to tend to the necessities of life, one thing being sleep. As I read, I felt I was right there with Elizabeth and the sick and dying she tended in various area of Europe during WW II, and going through her struggles along with her. Many parts of the book are emotional, and keeping a tissue close by is a good idea. If you are a WW II history buff, or a fan of historical fiction, do not miss this book. I received an arc of this book from NetGalley. All opinions expressed are my own.