Just when I was sure I wouldn't read yet another book set during the Second World War, WHEN WE HAD WINGS by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner grabbed me by the heart and would not let go through the harrowing tale of three nurses stationed in the Pacific. When their once-paradise becomes a war zone and the nurses are imprisoned, the three survive, thrive, and inspire with their intelligence, skills, and indomitable spirit, encouraging and enabling one another to continue unbearable and unthinkable privation. The writing is beautiful, the characters so well-drawn that I felt like I knew them, and the biggest bonus for me is that I have discovered two writers of historic fiction that I had not read before -- and cannot wait to enjoy. A must-read for gripping, involving, wonderful. I received a copy of this novel and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

Title: When We Had Wings
By: Ariel Lawhon; Kristina McMorris; Susan Meissner
Harper Muse
Release Date: 10/18/2022
Genre: Historical Fiction, History, Women's Fiction

Three talented authors joined together to write an extraordinary work of historical fiction in When We Had Wings. Set in the Philippines during World War II, this is the story of the experiences of nurses Eleanor, Lita, and Penny. The three women displayed undeniable bravery and courage during times of adversity and danger. Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner tell of not only the occurrences and perils of this period in history, but also of the friendship of the women.

The book is well researched and provides education into the events during an important period and location in history. The authors are to be commended for this superior collaboration.

Thank you to Net Galley and Harper Muse. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have a goal of reading a historical novel set in each country involved in WWII. This book checks the box for the Philippines.

While many novels focus on the western European countries, the publishing world seems to overlook eastern Europe and the Pacific. (Yes, that’s a hint!) So I was thrilled to find “When We Had Wings” which portrays the experience of Army and Navy nurses, who along with their Filipina counterparts, became prisoners of war. The book focuses on three women: Eleanor (Navy), Penny (Army), and Lita (a local Filipina nurse). The women became friends when stationed in Manila, but in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor they are scattered across the islands. Eventually, the installations where they worked fell to the Japanese.

Frequently, I would stop reading in order to google a place or event, such as Corregidor, the Malinta Tunnel, Bataan Death March, and the Santo Tomas Internment Camp, a 60-acre campus which housed well over 4000 people. There is plenty of illness, mistreatment, and deprivation in the story, but also the power of friendship coupled with resilience of the human spirit.

Prior to this book, I was already a fan of each of these authors individually; together—they are amazing.

There are so many WWII novels out there that it takes a new spin to make my want to read a new novel set in this time period. I really enjoyed reading about the experiences of three nurses in the Phillipines who are held as POW's when the Japanese invade. This is a story about resilience and survival.

This book focused on three women who are nurses in the South Pacific during World War II. The book shares the hard decisions and horrible conditions these nurses dealt with as they worked to help heal injured soldiers, while also dealing with much uncertainty in their day-to-day activities.

This was a decent novel about the second world war as it happened in the Philippines. This was a piece of history I knew nothing about and I enjoyed learning what happened. I was especially interested in the prison camps and how supplies were smuggled in. I liked having the perspective of three characters and the fact that they were nurses gave an added dimension.

I did enjoy the book, but I feel like it could have been more moving. There was a lot of telling rather than showing - sometimes I felt it was just "this happened, and then this happened," which distanced me from the story. We were often told how great friends the three girls were but I never really felt that friendship, it was more of a device to connect up the stories. I never felt fully engaged with the characters and atmosphere. I also found some parts of the ending a bit too neatly wrapped up. So not entirely a hit for me but still worth a read for the history aspect and the individual stories.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thanks to the publishers, Harper Muse, and Netgalley.

Three wonderful authors Ariel Lawhorn, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner worked together to bring their readers an amazing story about three brave nurses who served in Manilla in the South Pacific during WWII. Each is escaping their past. In their early 20’s, one is a widow, one has lost the person she loves, and one is a Filipina whose older sisters have moved to the United States. A few months before the bombing at Pearl Harbor, they meet at the Army Navy club. This is a story of friendship as they bond together. At first, they work long hours taking care of patients injured in the South Pacific. Conditions worsen and then the Japanese arrive. Each has their own story of survival.

I did struggle through the first part of the book. It moved too slowly for me and sometimes read like a history book. After the Japanese invaded, the story picked up, and I felt the pain each went through in trying to survive. I felt like I was there with each of them. I loved that they reunite at the Army Navy Club in 1951, and we learn what happened to them after the war.

Throughout the book, I tried to figure out which author’s writing I was reading, but I could not! My thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

When We Had Wings is a historical fiction by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. This book is based on the real story of nurses based in the Philippines during World War II.

So I enjoyed this book but it was very similar to Angels of The Pacific by Elise Hooper which came out in March and I absolutely loved it. Both books are about WWII nurses on the Philippines and told through multiple POV perspectives of the horror that the nurses went through as the Philippines were attacked by the Japanese. These women were held as POWs in two different civilian internment camps.

I liked how in this book we got the viewpoints of an Army nurse, a Navy nurse and a Filipino nurse. It was well written and I couldn't tell that three different authors wrote it. The only thing I wanted was an author's note, I'm hoping that because it's an arc it was missing. I've read and loved books by all three if these authors and they've written some of my favorite historical fiction.

I think more people should read about these remarkable women and more should know about the Philippines in WWII so I recommend reading either Angels of The Pacific or When We Had Wings.

I have read numerous accounts and non fiction books about the plight of those caught in the Philippines during WWII. I knew it was just a matter of time before historical fiction found these stories.
I began this book around noon and didn’t budge from my spot until I finished the last word. Three authors wrote this book and their voices blended beautifully. I couldn’t tell one author from the others, but I really didn’t care because I was so caught up in this story.
This is one book you will want to read before the year is over.
I do wish an authors’ note had been included.

It’s 1941, during WW2, when U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel meet in Manila and forge a friendship during their assignments. But when the Japanese army take control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are each forced to serve in combat conditions and eventually become the first female prisoners of WW2.

This novel is written by three authors: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner. This fascinates me, how multiple authors can creatively come together and write a story that reads easy, as if from one author’s voice. As the nurses are scattered throughout Manila in different camps or prisons, the three character point of view allows for a seamless and in depth look at The Angels of Bataan. This is a lesser known story in WW2 that will feel refreshing to read for historical fiction fans. While it was well researched, I did feel at times it read a little dry, and a little non-fiction rather than historical fiction. Details of the story could have been shown by the authors rather than merely listed, which would allow for more feeling and depth. I also would have loved more detail about the medical components of this story, and more development of the romance. That being said, the ending to this story of perseverance and friendship is satisfying and uplifting.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and Harper Muse for the chance to read this and give my honest opinion.

A solid historical fiction read from three well known authors, delving into the history of nurses held as prisoners of war in the Philippines. This book will interest those who know little about the pacific front of world war two and the lives of those who lived during the Japanese occupation. Not as engaging as some of the other books by the same authors, but it will find its home among those who enjoy world war two fiction.

The story of three women from different circumstances and backgrounds becoming fast friends had a sweet tone to it. Although initially a little difficult to keep the characters and their backstories straight, once I got about half-way through I was engaged. The various trials that they each faced provided yet another new perspective to a war that occurred 80 years ago. I hadn't heard of the Japanese internment camps at the Philippines on which this story was based. Overall a nice interweaving of three point of views.

I really enjoyed the story of the Angels of Bataan. I enjoyed that we got to see the perspective of a Navy and Army nurse, as well as a Filipina nurse who doesn't have the backing of the US behind her. Not only does this tell the story of the first female POWs, but the story takes place in an area of the world that we rarely encounter in WWII historical fiction.

The book itself felt a little long-winded. There were a few times where I wanted to DNF because I just didn't feel connected to the characters. I found that I didn't really care what happened to them as their individual characters, but I continued going because I wanted to learn what these women went through. So much of WWII historical fiction focuses on the Nazis and it seems the Japanese are rarely talked about and I felt these women deserved their story being told after all this time.

Overall I would recommend the book for fans of WWII historical fiction that are in it for the learning. If you're looking for a wonderfully written story to sweep you off your feet, this one it's the mark a little bit.

Three talented authors join forces to create a compelling historical novel about three nurses stationed in the Philippines during WWII who met and became the closest of friends. Following the invasion of Pearl Harbor, they became separated as they were held in POW facilities by the Japanese. All three came from different backgrounds, joined the military effort as nurses for varying reasons and had horrifying experiences of starvation, torture and death threats during their interment. Strong beyond belief, each searched for news of each other as well as the brief love encounters each experienced while being held for several years. Strong character development, high suspense and exceptional story line make this work deserving of a strong, positive recommendation of 4.5 stars. The graphic descriptions of human suffering were too explicit for my liking and would be a concern for a reader who avoids violent descriptions. I thank NetGalley with providing me a copy in exchange for an honest review.

Like many others I chose this book because of the three amazing authors. The WWII genre did not attract or deter me from the story. The opening of the book set up the normal lives of the three young dreamers who were nurses. I learned why each one decided to exchange their world for the military nursing experience in the tropical Philippine Islands. Lawhon, McMorris, and Meissner wove their sections together so well. I started out trying to guess who was writing what, but quickly lost myself in the story. The three diverse fictional women represented the real nurses that were forced to grow into heroes and give the USA their all during a harrowing prisoner of war experience in the Pacific. Their initial bonding was during monthly meet ups at the officer's club, and they looked forward to helping each other unwind. But when the war landed on their tropical island they were shocked to be separated by realistic experiences that claim to be inspired through the research of the real nurses of Bataan. The thought process of these strong characters includes the development of a strong desire to endure hardship to stay with and serve the injured that surround them in the battles they experience. The thoughts and fears of what was happening to each other and how they could come back together was always on their minds. But old school military logistical tactics continually move the women to protect them instead of allowing them to do their job and help. And the enemy invaders tend to treat women as property, so the alternating stories include the ways they learn to slow down and hide, always staying in their groups for protection. The nurses who are Filipino are forced to endure additional hardships. The pace of the story matches the character experience and slows here, with alternating details of experiences at the separate fronts. I believe this slower pace is intentional, and found I was worrying about what was happening with the characters that were not in my present narrative. I was driven to push through and found a quickened pace at the ending. What happens to wrap up each character's story is more realistic than satisfying. You will not have to endure prolonged stories of romance or pointless details of sexual encounters. You will join the journey of the authentic experiences of pain that lead to the growth and strength we see and admire in so many heroic women that have experienced the trials and tribulations of war.

Thank you NetGalley and HarperMuse for this egalley in exchange for a fair review. Pub Date 10/18/22

The tale of a group of nurses that become friends by circumstance and family through the ravages of war. Each has their own story surviving through the capture of Bataan and Corregidor while overcoming horrible conditions. The authenticity of the stories stems from the history of that time. The cruelty of the Japanese is hard to fathom and it was told brilliantly. It shows what we can overcome and survive when we have our friends in our corner. Thanks to NetGalley for the early read.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Harper Muse for the advanced copy of this fantastic novel.

I have read many books by Ariel Lawhon and the beloved Susan Meissner so I was excited to get an advanced copy of this book which did not disappoint.

My grandfather (1921 - 2015) was a very proud member of the VFW who served in WWII and beyond. He was a communications officer that went in and set up communications for the Army before they got there. I knew how dangerous a job that was and so thankful that he made it out alive. He told many many stories of his activity during WWII.

Most of his stories surrounded his time in the Philippines so this book intrigued me. I've read many many books on WWII (Historical Fiction is my jam) but this one was different since it is set in the Philippines. I had to stop many times and google different situations to get more information about these heroes.

There are so many (so many!) books about WWII but this one had a different perspective that I appreciated. I fell in love with the three main characters and their friendship. They battled hard and just when I thought they had enough more was thrown at them. The authors did a great job in making me feel like I was right there beside them rooting them on.

I highly recommend this novel even if you think you've read everything you need to read about WWII.

This is based on a true story of Army, Navy, and Filipina civilian nurses who were held as prisoners of war in Manila in WWII. This was absolutely fascinating and I loved getting the insights into what these women went through and the conditions they had to endure.
*
This was told from three different POVs, and I really enjoyed each of the characters and their different backstories. I especially loved their relationships with each other, and the enduring friendship they developed.
*
There were times this dragged a bit, perhaps a bit too much introspection about their pasts before the war that got repetitive, but for the most part this completely gripped me. Once I got to about the second half, I absolutely couldn't put it down.
*My biggest critique for this was that it was sometimes hard to keep track of the three different stories-- the three women moved around to different parts of the island, and sometimes overlap, so keeping track of who was where at what time and who knew who in their respective camps (since sometimes their friends overlapped too) lost me sometimes. I think maybe a map at the start of each chapter, showing where everyone is, would help?
*
Still, I very much enjoyed this book. It was well-written, had great characters, and I really loved getting to read about a more unique story of WWII, one that I didn't know much about previously. Definitely recommend!

A huge Thank You to The author, The publisher and NetGalley for providing the e-arc in exchange for an honest review.
This is a marvelous masterpiece!!!

I haven't read any books by these authors but wow what an introduction it was. When We Had Wings is a beautiful powerful story of three incredible women as they fight for survival and healing. it takes you on an emotional journey as you follow their story of friendship, courage, bravery, loss, love and hope. that will have you not wanting to put it down.
Thank you Netgalley for the ARC for my honest opinion.