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/

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 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.

3.5 stars
I have read a lot of books about WWII, but this is the first one set in the Philippines and the battles that ensued there. With the writing from three established writers (all new to me) I had anticipated more.

Granted I did learn more about Corregidor, that the Philippines was originally a Spanish colony, and that the military and civilians were pretty much left to their own devices for their survival.

The three nurses, Eleanor, Penny and Lita all ‘escaped’ their individual difficult lives and headed to a war that did it’s best to destroy them, physically and emotionally. Their friendship as the centrepiece for their survival is commendable but I did not feel the attachment to the characters that I expected.

The deprivation of daily necessities and starvation should have been piercingly painful but it was not for me. Each of the characters endured terrible circumstances but except in rare descriptions, the wording seemed distant and was lacking to inspire the guttural feelings of loss. Although, I was satisfied with the conclusion, I was not surprised or relieved, it was so-so.

If you are a history buff however, you will appreciate the documentation of facts and the civilian/military vulnerability in exposing ‘too much truth’ for a period in history that is considered one of the biggest military disasters and management blunders.

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

When We Had Wings is a historical fiction novel based on a real team of nurses called “the Angels of Bataan" stationed in the Philippines in the early 1940s during the Pacific War, part of WWII. Yes, it's a WWII story, but NOT based somewhere in Europe, which means I learned quite a bit about part of the war that I hadn't heard much of before!

This book kept me up waaay past my bedtime! The book follows three main characters, Lita, Eleanor, and Penny, nurses serving in the Philippines who form a friendship when they meet pre-war that helps carry them through the intense struggles they endure once war comes to the island. The trials and tribulations the nurses serving in the war went through were unimaginable!

I'll be honest, I've been over WWII books for a while now because there are just so many of them and I read too many in a row... but I'm so glad I gave this one a chance. This one will have you on the edge of your seat!

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.

Wow, I am in awe of this story and also extremely disappointed that we were never taught anything about these events in history class!

During WWII, the United States had military bases located in the Philippines, and they were attacked just mere hours after Pearl Harbor. This story focuses on three nurses (Penny, Lita, and Eleanor) who were stationed in the Philippines during that time and goes on to describe the heroic lengths they went to not only survive but to save the lives of POWs as well.

Based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed the “Angels of Bataan and Corregidor”, these three women, who were separated and reunited several times throughout this terrifying ordeal, maintained an unwavering friendship and sense of duty to their patients. Even when hope of liberation became more and more bleak, their resiliency and determination to carry on shined through the pages of this book.

I am so glad that I read this, and I’ll never forget the courageous risks these women took in order to protect innocent lives, especially when their own lives were in imminent danger.

Highly recommend this book!

*Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for providing a copy of this book to review.*

I enjoyed reading this historical story. This is written by three newer authors for me but I look forward to seeing what is next. This is a well written story that takes place in WWII with nurses who put it all on the line. This is an emotional, inspirational story about three nurses who have battles of their own. This is a story you don't want to miss what happens with the.m. I found them to be connectable and truly made the story for me. I enjoyed how they pulled me into the story and made it come to life. The author's use of details made the story realistic as if I was right there. There is great growth throughout the story with the plot and characters. I really enjoyed reading this entertaining, fast paced, hard to put down story. I highly recommend it.

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!

I have read all three of these authors separately and was thrilled to hear that they had come together to write a World War II book, my favorite genre. 432 pages seemed a little daunting to me, I have been on a kick of reading short, quick book, but I decided to jump right in. Once I read the first page, I knew that I would not be able to stop.



When We Had Wings is a story of war, being POW’s, but mostly it is a story of friendship. Penny, Lita, and Eleanor all entered the military to get away from their pasts but what they found was a future that was full of unknowns. The unknowns of war caused them to question their choices but never their friendship. Even as they were separated, they somehow managed to find ways to contact each other, keep tabs on each other’s locations, and find ways to get back together.



This book is full of history but still reads as a historical fiction. It is a story, but there is so much that I learned. I cannot imagine the lives that those nurses lived, the things they had to do, the things they saw. The three authors need to continue writing together and separate.

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.

I absolutely loved this mesmerising, gripping story, set in the Philippines during WWII.
Written by three very talented authors they have done a brilliant job of bringing the story together.
If I hadn’t known I would never have believed three people had written it as it flowed so effortlessly.
This is the first I’ve read about war in the Philippines & this was something different from the usual WW11 stories.
A really harrowing read at times but it’s amazing how that close bond of friendship & the resilience of people can get you through such horrendous times.
The story itself is well researched & based on true happening’s of nurses based in the Philippines during WWII.
It follows the lives of three nurses Lita, Eleanor & penny, who find themselves caught in the middle of a Japanese attack on the Philippines.
The war related atrocities can be quite hard to read about & their struggle to survive becomes a daily battle.
I lost myself for hours at a time with this book as I couldn’t put it down.
One of my favourite books this year, I actually felt a little choked at the end of it.
A powerful emotional story that draws you in & one I would definitely recommend.

When We Had Wings is a page-turning, well-researched historical fiction story about the “Angels of Bataan” during WW11.

Thanks #NetGalley #HarperMuse @HarperMuseBooks for a complimentary e ARC of #WhenWeHadWings upon my request. All opinions are my own.

Set in the Philippines during WW11, When We Had Wings is a story of friendship and survival. Eleanor (Navy), Penny (Army), and Lita (Filipina) meet and become friends at the Army/Navy Club in Manila. As war breaks out, they serve as nurses under combat conditions but soon find themselves in captivity and among the first female prisoners of war. Their fictionalized stories are representative of the “Angels of Bataan.”

When We Had Wings is told from three perspectives and the story moves frequently between perspectives and jumps from location to location. At times, this slowed my reading as I had to stop and think about which nurse I was reading about, her circumstances, and where she was located.

All three nurses have a backstory and are admirable, brave, and realistically drawn. I think more time could have been devoted to developing their friendship in the beginning of the story to make that part stronger. Selecting a representative nurse from the Army and Navy, and one locally added a layer of complexity, interest, and depth. Despite their wartime hardships and harrowing circumstances, these characters enjoy a realistic ending written for them at story’s end.

Even though the women were separated during their service and for much of their captivity, friendship is one of the strongest themes in When We Had Wings. Other themes include endurance, survival, wartime hardships, resourcefulness, overcoming obstacles, hope of rescue, and small sides of romance that do not overshadow the plot.

Content Considerations: War related atrocities (physical and mental abuse), war injuries and medical circumstances, captivity, horrific conditions.

If you’re able to read about conditions in captivity, I’m recommending When We Had Wings for fans of page-turning and well-researched historical fiction and for readers who would appreciate reading about nursing during WW11. Book clubs will find rich discussion possibilities.

Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with a free audiobook and E-reader copy in exchange for an honest review.
I absolute loved When We Had Wings. This beautiful historical novel is based on the true story of the “Angels of Bataan,” the US Army and Navy enlisted nurses who were in the Philippines on Pearl Harbor Day and were subsequently captured by the Japanese during World War II. The description of how these heroic women treated the sick and injured under difficult and sometimes inhumane conditions shined a light not only on this little known historical event, but on the backdrop of the war in the Pacific theater. I was totally entranced by this gorgeously written book, and look forward to reading many others by these three exceptionally talented authors. The narration was excellent. Five enthusiastic stars.

“When We Had the Wings” is a heartful novel about a friendship formed between three nurses (Eleanor, Penny and Lita) in Manila during WWII. Each woman houses her own secrets. Each woman faces further hardships during this novel, but it’s their perseverance that makes this such an enjoyable read.

While the women’s duties in the Philippines start out as light, it’s 1941, and all readers know what’s ahead. After the bombing of Pearl Harbor, the Japanese army attack the Philippines. As a result, the outnumbered allied forces retreat, are eventually surrounded, and given no choice but to surrender. Eleanor, Penny and Lita are sent to different internment camps and struggle to survive. Most of the historical fiction I have read has focused on Europe, so I appreciated a narration of this slice of history.

My thanks to the author, the authors and NetGalley for this intriguing book.

"When We Had Wings" is a fresh take on World War II historical fiction, following the story of three nurses (one army, one navy, and one Filipina) serving in the Philippines. Susan Meissner is one of my absolute favorite authors and I had high hopes for this one. Unfortunately, it didn't quite live up to my expectations and left me feeling a bit disappointed.

The concept for the story was very good and unlike anything I've previously read. Eleanor, Penny, and Lita are three nurses from very different backgrounds, each with a different reason for wanting to serve as a nurse. The women are briefly thrust together by war and become fast friends,; they are then thrust apart again when the Japanese take over the territory and the three women become prisoners of war. At its heart, this book is about friendship, hope, and bravery in the face of the brutality of war. The story clearly showed how vital women were to the war effort, even though history tends to gloss over their achievements.

However, this book could have used a more thorough editing. I don't know if it's because this book was written by three different authors, but it really did drag and I found myself skimming portions of the book until the plot began to move again. I think it would be more impactful if it were 50 pages shorter. I understand that life in a POW camp could be tedious, but that doesn't mean that the novel needs to be tedious as well. I wish the language would have "showed" me the story more rather than just "told" me the story.

There was also one glaring continuity error that I just could not get past. The Japanese character Akibo changed rank several times, back and forth. First he was a lieutenant, then he was a captain, then a lieutenant, then a captain, then a lieutenant...well you get the picture. This was not a story told through dual timelines. Now, I did read an advanced copy of this book and perhaps this error was corrected in the final version, but it was very distracting and a bit confusing. I had to keep flipping back to make sure he was in fact the same person.

I really wanted to like this book more than I did. Women military personnel rarely get the credit and/or attention they deserve and I was very excited to see about them.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for the opportunity to read an advanced digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I learned quite a bit reading this book. I hadn't known very much about the parts of the war based in the Philippines, or that they were attacked right after Pearl Harbor. I liked the way the material was presented, felt very well-researched, written in such a way that it wasn't at a rudimentary level.

Eleanor, Penny and Lita became friends under difficult conditions. The strength that they and all the prisoners exhibited was amazing and hopeful to me. I highly recommend this book, especially if you want to learn about this dark period in history.

Thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this book, but my opinions are my own.

These are three of my favorite authors so I couldn’t wait to read this book.Told through the eyes of three nurses held captive I was immediately drawn in to their story their survival their emotions.#netgalley #harpermuse

What a novel! Despite the book market being saturated with WW2 novels, this novel of nurses stationed inthe Pacific IA not one to miss. The trio of authors kept you engaged in the plot throughout.

This trio of fabulous authors are among my favorites, and so I was thrilled to read their collaborative novel. This historical fiction takes us to the Philippines in 1941 to a chapter of the war that I knew little about. The story is told through 3 women, Lita, Penny and Eleanor who are nurses and heroines who are eventually referred to as the Angels of Bataan for their courage, care and hope during an atrocious time.