Wow this book was a page-turner. It kept me up half the night reading it. 😳 That’s not an exaggeration and doesn’t happen to me too often.

I most love that while it’s historical fiction, it’s based on an actual event during WWII.

~SPOILER ALERT🚨 ~ A plane ✈️ of U.S. nurses and medics who were part of the Medical Air Evacuation Team went down in German-occupied Albania and they survived nearly 2 months behind enemy lines before being dramatically rescued.

The book tells the story from the view of three fictional nurses with dramatically different backgrounds and personalities, that you’ll equally cheer for and come to love.

You’ll also get to know more about the Albanian 🇦🇱 culture and their amazing commitment to hospitality, even when they had so little to share and harboring any Allies or Jews meant certain death.

It’s surprisingly kinda a love story, or stories, which isn’t typically my favorite read. However, strong women, a dramatic event, perseverance, and enduring friendship all make for a great book.

I read her previous book, The Last Correspondent and would highly recommend that one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC.

Thank you net galley for the advance reader copy of this novel. This was a great historical WWII fiction set in Albania. Three nurses are part of a medical evacuation team and crash in enemy territory. This is a tale of their journey and it is well written and researched. I enjoyed each of Vita, Dot and Evelyn's personalities and backgrounds. A great read!

The Crash

An emotional and heartbreaking story that will stay with you for a long time. It is based on an actual event that took place during WWII although it is fiction with fictional characters. I really enjoyed the explanation of the event and how it was fictionalized to write this novel at the end of the story. I always love learning about historical events of which I know nothing. The crash of the transport plane carrying nurses and medical staff in 1943 was an event that I knew nothing about although I have read about the Air Evacuation Transport which consists of nurses and medical staff air flights of injured soldiers from field situations to medical facilities.

The story is of the nurses and medical staff aboard this medical transport which was thrown off course during a storm, was shot down by the German Army and crashed in Albania. It is the story of the survival of the staff aboard the plane and their two months of hiding and running from the Nazi's to try and return home.

It features three nurses, Evelyn, Dot and Vita. they trained together and fight to survive this strange country they have come to find themselves in. Vita is the pampered rich girl defying her parents to become a nurse, Evelyn leaves her family behind which she has cared for since the death of her mother, and Dot is an orphan fleeing from a broken engagement.

To make it interesting we throw in a carefree fun loving pilot, a hardened SOE officer, an Albanian boy and his family and a medic trying to make it home to his wife and child. Along with all the other's these are some featured characters.

This is quite a story and I will think of it long after reading the book. The courage, the determination and the heartfelt friendships that developed among these nurses is commendable. The story was well written and I loved the characters and the description of the country, the people and the customs.

It was a good read and I would recommend it.

Thanks to Soraya M. Lane for writing a great story, to Amazon Publishing U.K. for publishing it and to NetGalley for making it available to me.

This was my first book by this author so I had no expectations.

What I enjoyed about the book was that it highlighted a part of WWII I had no prior knowledge of. So it was very interesting to read about the medical teams. And I enjoyed the different characters. They all had their own strength.

I have to be honest and say that after a while I skimmed the middle parts about them being stuck in Albania. It was a lot of walking and being hungry. The first and last parts were great reads. Lots of tension about what was about to happen.

A beautiful book based on a true event .. a story of three American nurses. Three women with different backgrounds and different reasons to join the Medical Air Evacuation Transport unit. The book is written very well .. characters are well developed. A story of friendship, courage, and sacrifice. My first book by this author - I am definitely going to read more books written by her.
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Thank you to the Author, @netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for an Advance Reader Copy.

Under a Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane was a wonderful book. It is the story of three American nurses in the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. Their job is to be on the planes that retrieve those injured soldiers from the front lines and transport them to a safe hospital for recovery and rehabilitation.

This story is based on a true event that occurred during the war when a large contingent of nurses and medics were flying to pick up wounded after being grounded by weather for days. The plane went down and this group of medical people was stranded behind enemy lines for over a month. This fictional account conveys the hardships and fear that these brave souls endured, not knowing if they would be rescued or remain stranded, and trying to escape being captured by the enemy.

I could not put this book down. Even though I knew it was a fictional account, I was riveted by the story. I always enjoy Ms. Lane’s writing and her books are among my most treasured. I highly recommend this book to those readers interested in novels about the war.

Absolutely loved this story about 3 friends, tested to the limit during the war. A great story that takes you to another world and another time. Definitely one to recommend

Are hope and love enough to sustain you through war torn lands?

Soraya Lane's "Under a Sky of Memories" is a transformative novel about 3 American nurses who are part of the first Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron in WW2. Three different women, all with different reasons for joining this mission, are brought together and fighting for their lives when a rescue trip crash lands them in occupied Albania. Along with the other medics and their pilots, Vita, Dot and Evelyn struggle to find their way to safety and, hopefully, back home.

Soraya has a way of writing that truly brings the characters to life. I was on the edge of my seat living through these months in Albania with Vita, Dot and Evelyn. Not only were the main characters beautifully flawed and wonderful in their own ways, the side characters were built in ways where the story would have gaping without them. I was rooting for all them, in survival, in love and in their futures.
As a history nerd, I loved the clear research and detail that Soraya put into this book. While Vita, Dot and Evelyn were made up, the real members of the 807th MAETS including 13 nurses, 13 medics and 2 pilots survived across Albania through 1943 before being rescued in early 1944. In the authors note at the end of the book, Soraya talks about the real members of that unit and the Albanian underground who not only helped this Americans survive, but also refused to turn over their Jewish neighbors and friends and became a refuge for those who could it make it to them.

I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, war torn love stories and survivalist tales.
I cried tears over this book, both happy and sad. It's clearly a labor of love and the story is so beautifully told. I look forward to reading more of Soraya Lane's books in the future!

Thank you to Net Galley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This was my first Soraya Lane book, but it will most definitely not be my last. I read A LOT of WWII historical fiction, but I try to get outside of the France/Germany area. This took me to whole new country: Albania. In all my reading, fiction and non-fiction, I've never even heard of these nurses/medics and what they endured. It's sad that it's taken so long, but I love that these stories are finally being brought into the light. Without authors like Ms. Lane, they may never go beyond scholars and I believe by presenting them as a historically-inspired fiction story these authors are helping make sure these heroes aren't forgotten. This book had a bit more romance than I would typically enjoy in my historical fiction, but it was written so beautifully that I actually found myself rooting for one of the potential couples, I won't say which though! I can't wait to read more of Ms. Lane's works!

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I enjoy reading Soraya Lane's war books. They are always interesting and somewhat based on a little facts. Unlike a lot of war books hers are easy to read which is a plus for someone like me where history isn't my favorite genre. I love that hee books focus on the women during war.

MAETS - Medical Air Evacuation Squadron. It’s amazing all the things you don’t learn in history class but can learn from reading historical fiction. Though the story itself is historical fiction, the things that brave men and women of the 807th squadron did are all real. These squadrons evacuated soldiers from field hospitals and got them to hospitals where they could get the medical treatment they needed.

We follow three very brave, very different women from the 807th, Evelyn, Vita and Dot. For everything these women go through within this story, it will leave your heart pounding and wanting more. From the horrid conditions they endured to the lifelong friendships developed you will devour every last page of this book.

Soraya Lane writes incredible historical fiction about the women of WW2 that if it has her name on it, it’s a definitely a MUST read. Her descriptions pull out your emotions as well as the vivid descriptions taking you to the places within the story.

Thank you #netgalley, #amazonpublishing and #SorayaLane for allowing me the opportunity to read this incredible story.

I just love books by this author!!! Once again, she has me captivated! This book quickly engaged me and kept me turning pages! If you like historical fiction, this is for you! Thank you to the publishers for an advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

I previously read a book by Soraya M. Lane and enjoyed it, so when I saw this I was looking forward to requesting it. I’m so glad I did, because it was an absolutely fantastic book, and easily one of my favorite reads this year.

Nurses Evelyn, Dot, and Vita meet while training to become members of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron during WWII. Once they get to Sicily, al three are one a plane that gets lost and then crashes when the plane malfunctions during bad weather. When they discover they ended up in Albania, where they’re not only fighting against the Nazis, but also essentially fighting a civil war, the nurses, medics and pilots quickly realize the danger they’re in. When things start looking bleak, British SOE agent James Millard finds them. What comes next is a story of endurance and strength.

This was such an incredible read, even more so because although the characters are fictional, the story of the plane crashing in Albania and their subsequent plight was real. These women in particular were amazing, and as a reader, I was rooting for them to survive, realize their inner strength, and see them happy in the lives and their romances that were building up throughout the story. Soraya M. Lane wrote it perfectly, making these characters seems so real with their determination and she was able to convey the suspense and heartbreak these characters felt while still maintains the heart and goodness of our main characters. I enjoyed all 3 romantic interests, but this story for me was really the beauty of friendship between Evelyn, Vita and Dot.

I highly, highly recommend this, even if you don’t usually read historical fiction.

Thank you to Netgalley for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

Evelyn, Dot, and Vita all join up to serve in a new medical transport initiative during World War II. Each having their own reasons for volunteering despite how their families feel, the women form a tight bond as their training ends and their duty begins.

One medical mission they were sent on had multiple medics and nurses to transport a large number of injured soldiers. En route, transportation between the pilots and control towers was nonexistent because the pilots didn’t have the code to let the towers know they were not the enemy. Encountering turbulence and German planes, the transport plane crashes in an unknown area. When Evelyn and Vita leave with two of the pilots to find help for their twenty-six crew members, they encounter a resistance fighter who informs them that they are in Albania. He takes them to a shelter until they unexpectedly have to leave due to German soldiers nearby. When the group scatters and then meets up the next morning, some of the women are missing, including Dot. Not wanting to leave the area, but knowing that Germans were looking for them, the group makes the tough decision to push ahead in hopes of being rescued.

On the run in the mountains of Albania, they come across a British SOE who was also looking for them. The hopes of the group finding the missing nurses and getting out of Albania are met with obstacle after obstacle. What will happen to the group? Will they find Dot alive?

Strong female characters are at the core of this novel. This is my second Soraya Lane book, and I will be reading more. Like the first one of her books I read, I completed it in a day and found myself lost in the mountains with them, hoping and praying to get out alive. Lovers of WWII historical fiction will love the story. 5 ⭐️

#netgalley #arc #underaskyofmemories #sorayamlane

UNDER A SKY OF MEMORIES by SORAYA M LANE is based on something that happened in 1943 when a group of American nurses and medics set out from Siciy to ferry injured soldiers to hospital and ended up crash landing in Albania, where they suffered incredible hardship for 63 days before being rescued.
The fictitious characters the author has brought in add real interest to the story, as we get an idea of what these brave people went through, together with the danger that they brought to the villagers who helped them. I like the way the author has given us some insight into the country of Albania and her people at that time in history.
Three young women, Evelyn, Vita and Dot, train as nurses and become part of the Medical Air Evacuatiin Transport Squadron, based in Sicily. They become close friends although they come from different backgrounds and each has her own reason for joining up. They set off on a mission to save even more wounded sodiers than usual, and end up stranded in Albania. As they, together with the other nurses, medics and pilots, struggle through unfrendly, occupied territory, we see their incedible strength of character.
There is some romance in this unlikely situation……..and that is all I am going to tell you for fear of spoiling the read for you!
I enjoyed the book, finding it exciting, inspiratinal, and really hard to put down.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Amazon Publishing UK. The opinions in this review are completely my own.

Under a Sky of Memories tells the story of three strong women, WWII nurses, who are ovecoming obstacles in their personal lives while helping the war effort. Dot is struggliing to get over a broken engagement, Evelyn has been surrogate mother to her younger siblings since their mother died, and Vita wants to do more with her life than be a debutante and marry a man her wealthy family approves of. All three women become a part of the MAETS - Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron - helping to airlift injured soldiers to safety. All three women find meaning in their lives - and this book has the satisfying ending that I love so well. Soraya M. Lane is becoming one of my new favorite authors! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Under a Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane is a fabulous WWII-era historical fiction that tells a gripping tale inspired by a true story of the disaster, survival, and rescue of a group behind enemy lanes in Albania. It is wonderful!

I have been a HUGE fan of Ms. Lane for quite some time and have read literally all of her books. This has to be one of my most favorites yet.

I had no clue about this true story of American women that were part of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron whose plane crashed into Albania during WWII. The story gives us insight into their accident and their survival until their final rescue. It is stunning that we know so little about this until recently. Their courage, determination, passion, drive, and heart just blew me away. The author’s ability to bring this story to life with such drama, suspense, detail, and emotion made me feel as if I was right there with them.

I also enjoyed the Author’s Note that gave us context on what was true and what was fictional. It was very informative. I loved every moment of it.

Cannot recommend this enough!

5/5 stars

Thank you NG and Amazon Publishing UK for this wonderful arc and in return I am submitting my unbiased and voluntary review and opinion.

I am posting this review to my GR and Bookbub accounts immediately ( as of 11/24/21 no BB listing has been created and link will be updated when it is available )and will post it to my Amazon, Instagram, and B&N accounts upon publication on 1/11/22.

I have read some books by this offer and I was so glad to see it on netgalley. First and foremost, thank you Netgalley, the publisher and also the author for letting me read this.

I’ve been a historical person since I was 10 years old. I’ve read just about every book there is to offer on nurses during WWII. Trust me, there’s not a lot.

They’re all American nurses that met in basic. They’re all firecrackers for sure.

What makes this book so special is the sisterhood these three ladies have. They have some extremely wonderful moments and sad ones. Ones you expect to see in a book of war. It is kinda like “This is our life now whether we like it or not.”

Evelyn, Vita, Dot…they were all so special. Never giving up on faith.

Another thing…I liked that this was based in south Europe. You never see books based in south Europe during WWII even though that is where a lot of things happened.

I cried. I laughed. I cried some more.

The ending, even though I did want it to end, was just the chefs kiss to wrap it up.

On the surface, they couldn't have been more dissimilar - Vita, the beautiful heiress; Evelyn, who'd held her family together for years following her mother's death; and brokenhearted Dot, who longed for a family more than anything.. But as they worked their way through training, to be inducted into the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron (MAETS) as nurses, they became inseparable...until a plane crash behind enemy lines leads one of them to be parted from the others. Based on the true story of a planeload of MAETS nurses and medics that crashed in Albania during the war, "Under a Sky of Memories" tells the stories of three remarkable women, and introduces you to the men they fall in love with during the course of their harrowing adventure. Will they all survive? I'm not saying -- you'll have to read the book to find out!

Evelyn, Vita and Dot are American nurses who have completed a specialist flight training program, and are now qualified members of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. After being wounded in action, to increase the soldiers chances of survival, they needed to get to a hospital for treatment and quickly. The solution, planes specially fitted out to carry around twenty six wounded patients, with one nurse, a medic, and a surgeon aboard to look after them during the flight.

The nurses leave for their first overseas posting, the destination is all very hush hush, and everyone’s feeling nervous. Dot, Evelyn and Vita become best friends, and they come from different walks of life. Evelyn’s mature of her age and sensible, her mother passed away when she was a teenager, she looked after her father and three younger sisters. Dot was orphaned at a young age, she was raised by her elderly grandparents, and she’s quiet and rather shy. Vita comes from a wealthy background, she’s confident and looks like a movie star.

They arrive in Sicily in 1943, a group of twenty six people are selected for a special mission, flying in a big Skytrooper and they come under enemy fire. The plane’s pilot Bobby Redfern, manages to preform an amazing crash landing, and they have no idea where they are? The crew’s behind enemy lines in Albania, with no form of communication and completely stranded. Local partisans come to their aid, not knowing if they can trust them, still in extreme danger and the nurses are scared.

Constantly on the move, having to stay one step ahead of the Germans, with few supplies, sleeping rough, and it doesn’t take long for everyone to struggle physically and mentally. Evelyn, Vita and Dot have all experienced tragedy in their lives, they’re much stronger than they think, it takes every ounce of courage, determination and effort for them to keep going, continue to believe they have a chance of being rescued and despite the terrible odds.

Under a Sky of Memories is a brilliant wartime story about three brave nurses, a handsome American pilot, a British agent and a local man called Stefa. I was totally hooked by the narrative after the first chapter, with a cast of gutsy characters, it’s a story about survival, in a brutal and remote place. I received a copy of this book from NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK in exchange for an honest review, Soraya M. Lane at her best, a perfectly balance story, with a little romance, and five stars from me.