U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel are serving in the Philippines in 1941 and become fast friends. With the Japanese fight the United States to take control of the islands, the women are forced to work under combat conditions and eventually become among the first female prisoners of war in WWII. As they face conditions that don’t meet the Geneva Convention’s standards, each woman holds on to hope that she will make it through the war.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book about what life was like for nurses in the Philippines during World War II. I loved the focus on the friendships the women had. Even if you are tired of WWII historical fiction, I highly recommend checking this book out! The only thing that would have made the audiobook better would be to have a different narrator for each of the three main characters; however, Saskia Maarleveld did a fantastic job with the audiobook.

Many thanks to NetGalley for providing me with an audio ARC of this book.

3.5/5 stars

The switching from character to character doesn't always line up. However, the story as a whole was fascinating and I loved the "new" aspect of World War II.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my gifted copy of When We Had Wings. This is a historical fiction novel written by three fantastic authors who come together to write one character each. I loved getting to know Eleanor, Penny and Lita through the multiple POVs provided. Their friendship and time working through WW2 and life was filled with challenges and emotions and it was exciting to read as their journey unfolded. This is one that everyone should read and I am recommending to everyone.

I love a good historical fiction book! This book was captivating. For historical fiction fans this is a great one based on the true stories of nurses in the Philippines in 1941.

When We Had Wings is inspired by the real-life “Angels of Bataan and Corregidor.” Seventy-seven American military nurses taken prisoner in the Philippines, provided lifesaving care to the civilian POWs in the Santo Tomas and Los Banos Internment Camps where they were held from 1942 to 1945.

The book is a collaboration between historical fiction heavyweights Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner. The story unfolds through the perspectives of Eleanor Lindstrom, who leaves her Minnesota dairy farm for the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps, Penny Franklin, an army nurse escaping personal troubles in Texas, and Lita Capel, who has a Filipina mother and American father and works as a nurse near the base.

Their friendship develops over cocktails in the tropical paradise of Manila, but the Japanese invasion changes everything, leading them from military bases and local hospitals to internment camps and prisons.

Their unwavering determination to keep hope alive, not only for themselves but also for their fellow inmates, is at the heart of this gripping narrative. When We Had Wings is rich in historical detail, bringing the jungles and wartime experiences to vivid life. I was invested in the characters’ fates, sharing their joys, and shedding a tear or two along the way.

When We Had Wings struck me as reminiscent of Angels of the Pacific, which I read earlier. The beginning of the book was corny, but I was impressed as the story unfolded.

I alternated between reading the eBook and listening to the audio version. As always, narrator Saskia Maarleveld rocked it. Honestly, I prefer Susan Meissner’s and Kristina McMorris’ solo work, but this collective effort still tells an interesting story. 4 stars

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions are my own.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse Books for the audiobook! All opinions are my own.

Based on the true experiences of nurses nicknamed "the Angels of Bataan," this story begins in the Philippines in 1941 at the Army Navy Club in Manila where U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship. They all think they have a cushy assignment on this island paradise, but they soon find themselves enmeshed in the struggle for control of the Philippines between Japan and the U.S.

This story follows them as they flow in and out of each other's lives through combat and imprisonment conditions as their physical strength and mental resolve are pushed to the limits.
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I really enjoyed this book. Written by some of my favorite historical fiction authors, it does not miss the mark as it examines the range of experience and emotions these nurses would have faced at this time. You get invested in each of their stories, and are delighted when the story weaves the separate plots together again.

This is a story about the power of friendship and the resiliency of the human spirit.

My only note is although I love Saskia Maarleveld, I would have loved a cast of three voices for this one. It would have helped, especially at the beginning, to set the storylines apart.

This story was not what I expected when I started this book. I did learn quite a lot about the history of the setting during World War II. I felt there were some scenes that could have been left out without taking away from the story. With regard to the audio version, it was often difficult to distinguish between the characters and made it confusing as to who was talking at times. I picked this book because I was familiar with one of the authors. Based on this book, I will probably not choose to read another book by the other two authors.

- Really loved the ending. While it was sappy it also brought a tear to my eye.
- Three person point of view historical fiction means for slightly too long novel. I wish it was slightly shorter and had a little more overlap between the characters.
- Learned a lot about a lesser known WWII event and liked the Pacific theater setting.

A very enjoyable listen, especially for those interested in the experiences of women during WW2. My thanks to NetGalley and Harper Muse. I would recommend this audiobook.

I received a complimentary copy of this audiobook from the publisher, Harper Muse, through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book is three nurse women who become friends in the Philippines prior to WWII: Penny, Leda, and Eleanor. After the Japanese attack of the Philippines, the three women are imprisoned in different prison camps. This is a tough story with very realistic situations. The prisoners deal with torture, starvation and witness executions. They see children struggle for survival. The book is outstanding in enlightening the reader of life during this difficult time. The story brings the women together, return to the U.S. and the book nicely ties up all loose ends. It is a great historical fiction book with different insight of nurses during this difficult situation. If you enjoy WWII historical fiction, this book is for you!

Three authors come together to write this book. Set in the Philippines in World War II, 3 nurses become prisoners. This novel is based on the true experiences of "the angels of Bataan". This novel is about friendship, courage and bravery.

One of my favorite genres of books is historical fiction. And when it is set during WWII, it is a big draw for me. This amazing story, while about WWII, focused on a different aspect than those I’ve typically read. This book was set in the Pacific conflict ... specifically the Philippines. It also dealt with the little known story of the military nurses who served during this time. Words cannot describe the horrors they endured and the evil they witnessed. However, the friendships that developed were cherished and helped them face another day. I thoroughly enjoyed learning about the dedication the women displayed in such difficult circumstances, the strength of character, and their determination to survive. This is definitely one to put on your to-be-read list. It is heart wrenching but has you cheering them on hoping they will survive and be rescued.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for my advanced review copy. All opinions and thoughts are my own.

For more reviews, please visit my blog at: https://www.msladybugsbookreviews.com/. Over 1000 reviews posted!

The story was about three nurses from different background who meet during WWII. The nurses become fast friends and, as with war, everything changes in a heartbeat. The horrors of war and hardship of what they had to endure while still remaining friends.
Thank you NetGalley, publisher and authors for the opportunity to listen to the audio.

A unique and true story based on the real account of the Angels of Bataan, a group of 66 United States Army Nurse Corps and 11 United States Navy Nurse Corps stationed in the Philippines at the outset of the Pacific War. We follow three nurses all stationed in Philippines who are eventually captured by the Japanese. I really enjoyed this book, it’s a perspective I personally don’t see a lot written about, especially from a female POV. We follow two American nurses and one Filipina nurse who develop a deep friendship. This book really dives into how American nurses and Filipina nurses were treated differently for doing the same work. Heart-wrenching, the authors do an incredible time diving into the physical and mental abuse imprisonment from the Japanese.

To be honest, it took be a while to get into this book because of the narrator. I found the voice tone quite monotone. However, once the plot of the story picked up I could not stop listening to this audiobook!

This historical fiction novel weaves the stories of 3 women stationed in the Philippines during WWII. U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel are caught in the crossfire between US/Japanese armed forces as they fight for control over the Philippine Islands. This story is fascinating and heartbreaking, as it is based off real life events of the first female prisoners of war in WWII.

Sincere thanks to NetGalley & Harper Muse for an advanced listener copy in exchange for an honest review.

The story told here is very compelling - of 3 nurses from 3 different backgrounds who meet and become friends at the outset of WWII. One is a Navy Nurse, one an Army Nurse and one a local Indonesian Nurse. They are separated and periodically reunited as the war progresses. It is refreshing to have a WWII novel relay the events in the SE Pacific, and to show how necessary and strong the nurses were in the war effort.

However, I must add that the story development is a bit weak at times, and a bit redundant at times. At the beginning, there isn't much development of the friendship - not much to describe how the 3 become such steadfast friends. Somehow I felt as if they continuum of the story was weak and hard to follow.

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to listen to this audio book.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for the audiobook arc. I really enjoyed the different perspective of World War II that was presented through three different main characters. I liked the narrator that was chose and thought she did a nice job, but would have found it beneficial to have three separate readers, one for each character. It was somewhat hard to keep each person straight, and this might have helped (or may be easier in the physical book format). Overall, it was an enjoyable read.

I received an arc of this title from NetGalley for an honest review. I could not get into this audiobook as it did not hold my attention for any length of time.

DNF - no rating.

NetGalley Audio provided but archived before I could get through it.

To be honest, it could be that I was distracted but I really didn't feel pulled into it either? I had to keep rewinding because I would zone out listening to it.

in support of the ongoing HarperCollins Union Strike, i will not be reviewing this book nor will i be providing links for this title.

I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful and tragic story of three nurses working with the U.S. military in 1941. Assigned to the beautiful and tropical Philippines, three nurses become fast friends and in an instant everything changes. Japan invades Pearl Harbor and the very next day, the Japanese begin to bomb the Philippines changing their once paradise into a war zone. So many of the World War 2 era books explore the European theatre of fighting, this was a unique look at the experience of nurses who find themselves in enemy territory of the Pacific theatre. The horrors of war and the unfathomable hardships endured by the POW's are the back drop of each of their stories as these three women deal with love, loss and the unimaginable horrors of war, all while their friendship helps to sustain them.

This is a must read for all fans of historical fiction.