I’m very critical of historical fiction because if it isn’t written correctly it’s super dry and hard to get through. This was exactly the opposite of that. It was a wonderful story that I truly enjoyed. It wasn’t just friendship- it was romance, perseverance, and what I’d like to describe as true grit in these women.

This is a part of history I hadn’t heard before and it was incredibly tragic. I can imagine it was hard to portray the tragedy while also giving the story optimism, but the authors did it. Three women, three different stories, and I promise you’ll love it all.

Synopsis will be short because I don’t want to spoil this and it’s a little hard to give a brief version without trailing down each women’s path too much.

🌀Synopsis
Lita, Penny, and Eleanor meet on a “dream” assignment in the paradise that is Manila. That is until the Japanese forces and US forces start fighting to take over the Philippines during WWII.

The three end up as part of the first female prisoners of this war. As nurses, they fight to keep other prisoners, themselves, and their friendship alive.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the ARC of this audiobook.

I have read many World War II novels, but never one about Manila. This book provided very detailed research and information about the Japanese invasion of the Philippines and the female nurses who were taken as POWs. I learned so much about this part of history from the book and had no idea about what these women went through or that women were taken as POWs.. I love historical fiction when it makes me want to look up information to find out more and this book was no exception. One of the things that drew me to the book was the fact that I was familiar with two of the authors (McMorris and Meissner) and have enjoyed their previous books. I was not familiar with Ariel Lawhon. This book was told from the viewpoint of three fictional nurses, who had become great friends before the invasion. I felt that the three authors did a good job of blending their stories together.
I was very interested in listening to this audiobook because I love the narrator, Saskia Maarleveld. Once again, she provided wonderful narration and kept me quite engaged with the characters. I am wondering though, if it may have been more effective to have three narrators because of the three characters. I feel that this may have distinguished the characters a little more.

All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed this book and feel that people who enjoy WWII historical fiction will find that this book provides a unique perspective about this little known part of the war.

4.5!

This is a very distinctive historical fiction that focuses almost entirely on Manila during World War II.

I had only known a little about how Manila was affected by the war but after reading this book I feel like I got a very detailed understanding of so much of it.

This book is told from three points of view; one U.S. Navy nurse, one U.S. Army nurse, and one local nurse. We follow along from the moment one nurse lands on the island, through life for all three in peacetime, then as the Japanese begin their attack and the years of occupation before liberation.
Each point of view was absolutely essential for a complete picture of that time and it all three were done masterfully!

The hardest parts to read were during the Japanese occupation. Those chapters contains possible trigger warnings but, in my opinion, nothing too graphic.

Definitely recommend this for the historical fiction lovers that are looking for a unique WWII story.

Thank you Netgalley and Harper Muse Audiobooks for the alc in exchange for an honest review!

The source material for this novel is phenomenal. The Angels of Bataan were pioneers who epitomized fortitude. However, I found this historical fiction interpretation lacking.

The historical part of the book took precedence, and at times it read as dry as a history book. There was far too much telling, rather than showing. The plot was slow-moving and lacked cohesion at times. I most enjoyed the somewhat realistic resolution, the audio performance was solid, and the epilogue did a nice, if not quick, job of tying everything up. Unfortunately, the whole time I was listening, I found myself drawing parallels to Angels of the Pacific, and When We Had Wings simply fell short for me.

Thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing me with an advance copy of the audiobook to review!

A beautifully written historical fiction by three powerhouse authors, Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner —WHEN WE HAD WINGS, A Story of the Angels of Bataan, based on true experiences.

Three women, World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific, wage their battle for freedom and survival during the darkest days of war while remaining true friends.

The Philippines, 1941.

U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel develop a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila.

They want to believe they are living a paradise assignment. All three women are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.

They bond over shared experiences during their time in the South Pacific. Then the attack on Pearl Harbor.

Three brave nurses are caught in the crosshairs of a fight for the Philippine Islands, enduring combat and captivity as the first female prisoners of World War II.

Based on real but little-known history of the first and largest group of American women ever taken captive as prisoners of war.

Alternating between three perspectives, rich in history, deeply felt, and meticulously researched—a tale of friendships, struggles, sacrifice, survival, courage, love, and endurance!

Ideal for book clubs and further discussions.

I listened to the audiobook narrated by Saskia Maarleveld for an engaging performance; however, I think it would have been better to have three different narrators for the three distinct voices of women.

Thank you to #HarperMuse and #NetGalley for a gifted ALC (audio) and ARC (digital) in exchange for an honest review. #covercrush

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www.JudithDCollins.com
@JudithDCollins | #JDCMustReadBooks
My Rating: 4 Stars
Pub Date: Oct 18, 2022
Oct 2022 Must-Read Books

The Nurses

In 1943 three young women join the service to escape their past. One was running from family problems, another a broken heart and the third the loss of her husband. They never dreamed that they would be involved in a horrible war that would change all of them.

Many young people were excited to join the service for their country, the uniform, the prestige and their own patriotism. They do not and cannot know the trials they will face and the courage they must possess.

These three young nurses two in the Army and one in the Navy met each other at the Army/Navy club and became close friends. They would remain close friends. They would worry about each other even as they went through trials of war themselves. Stationed in the Philippines and caught between two warring armies they suffered fear, imprisonment, Internment, hunger, thirst and harsh treatment at the hands of their captors. Still they found ways to survive.

This is a story of a true time in history and the conditions in which our service men and women were asked to live and how they were treated by the Japanese after their capture. It is about their liberation and their return to life after the war. For some it was hard to adjust. Friends were lost and they were forced to face horrible acts by the Japanese Army. Some had a hard time with that. When they returned home some found it hard to adjust.

I loved all the characters and the beautiful descriptions of both the beauty of the land before the war started and the devastation afterwards. I loved how the story was told from three points of view each one of the nurses Eleanor, LIta, and Penny. How strong their bond was to each other and how they kept in touch after they were liberated.

The narrator did a fantastic job telling the story with a pleasant and easy to understand voice. I really enjoyed this story and I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to three fine authors Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner for writing a great story, to Harper Muse for publishing it and to NetGalley for allowing me to listen and review a copy.

Wow! Three bestselling authors flawlessly weave the stories and lives of three WWII nurses. Love, loss, survival, and reunion are all shared by these brave women as they each explore their own decisions and the outcomes. Excellent on audio! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for an advanced audiobook.

3.5 stars!

A sweet but heart-rending tale of three nurses serving in the Navy Medical Corps overseas, and the atrocities they see while worrying about loved ones, escaping traumatic pasts and supporting eachother when they can.

The hook? Written from three perspectives with three distinct narrative voices due to the work of high-tier historical fiction authors, When We Had Wings has a trio of unique voices diving the story that almost gives it an autobiographical quality at times.

Very well done to Lawhon, McMorris and Meissner for keeping dialog styles, facts and I terwoven plot points straight and capitalizing on the emotional reunions throughout the women's story.

My only critique listening to the Audiobook is the single narrator... with three voices that were so distinct, having three narrators to weave the tale together would have been a fantastic way to set the audiobook apart.

Even still, if you're a lover of war fiction, this is a solid listen!

I loved this one! The plot was a bit slow moving but forgivable because it allowed for all of the characters to be well developed. I have read many war books involving women but this was the first one that addressed women as POW’s. It was a reminder of what the men and women went through during a time of war to give us the much taken for granted freedoms that we have today. Beautifully written!

ARC audiobook provided by NetGalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

“When We Had Wings” is a historical fiction novel that follows the stories of Eleanor, a Navy nurse, Penny, an Army nurse, and Lita, a Filipino nurse, as they struggle to survive World War II as it spreads through the Pacific theater. The three nurses meet one night in August of 1941 at a club in Manila and soon become fast friends. The women have all encountered heartbreak and pain in their pasts and have turned to nursing as a way to move forward. The women bond over shared experiences while enjoying their time serving in the South Pacific. Then the attack on Pearl Harbor happens and war descends on the Philippines.

Over the next few years, the three friends are torn apart and each face a different facet of the war. The women struggle to survive and to protect and care for others around them, all the while desperately hoping to reunite with each other. Can these women survive the war? What hardships must they encounter to do so? Will they ever see each other again? These questions persist through the novel as the three nurses fight for their very survival in the face of great adversity.

I adored this book! Before starting this book, I was a bit concerned about the writing given that it was authored by three individuals. However, if not for the cover informing me of this, I would never have guessed that it was not a single author who wrote the book. The narrative flows well and is cohesive throughout. The story arc is clear and effective. The characters are well-developed, likeable, and believable. I felt invested in the lives, successes, and tribulations of these women.

I am a big fan of historical fiction novels, especially those set around World War II. This book was the first book that I have read that explores World War II from the Pacific theater perspective. Prior to reading this book, I was not familiar with the history and stories of “the Angels of Bataan.” This book was unique, original, and historically informative. It did not feel like a history lesson, however. Instead, I found myself engrossed in the story and its historical insights. It felt meaningful while also being enjoyable. I was on tenterhooks as the book progressed, going along for the emotional ride with these three brave women as they fought to survive the horrors of war.

The only reason I gave this book a four-star review was that the story did become a bit prolonged at times. While the book developed the characters and story arc well, some of the sections were overwrought and could have been improved with some editing. That being said, the rest of the book is an excellent read, and these overelaborate sections should not deter a potential reader from picking up this book.

My copy of this book was an audiobook, so I must also comment on the narrator. I believe she did an excellent job. Her narrative voice was effective and paced appropriately. The voices she did for the individual characters, including the men, were well done and easily identifiable. One of my biggest criticisms about most narrators is their ability to voice a member of the opposite sex, and I was quite satisfied with this narrator’s performance.

Overall, this was an excellent World War II historical fiction novel. It was a breath of fresh air and originality with a unique perspective of the war. I would highly recommend this book to fans of historical fictions, readers new to historical fiction, and readers of fiction in general. This book would pair well with both adult readers and older young adult readers. Based upon this novel, I will be looking into each of the authors’ prior works in search of more fantastic reads. If you are looking for an exceptional, engaging story, pick up a copy of this written novel or audiobook now! You won’t regret it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to listen to “When We Had Wings” by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner. This was a great book! If you review my Goodreads profile, you will see I read a lot of WWII books. I love most of them! This one rises to the top of the list, along with The Nightingale, by Kristin Hannah and For Malice and Mercy, by Gary W. Toyn. This book gave a completely different perspective that I have not read yet, which I loved.

This is the story of three nurses, a U.S. Navy nurse, a U.S. Army nurse and a Philippine nurse, who meet in 1941 in the Philippines where they are stationed. Many U.S. enlisted nurses took this post to serve the U.S. in “paradise.” However, when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, these nurses find themselves in direct combat. The story continues over the next 4 years, where the nurses are separated due to transfers and imprisonment. All three of them (along with many other nurses) were POWs for 4 years. They experience suffering, love, and loss and the author makes you feel what they are feeling.

The author did a good job developing the characters and had I read it, rather than listened to it, I would have no complaints about this book. However, I listened to it. Saskia Maarleveld is a very good narrator and I have enjoyed many of the books she has narrated. She also did a great job with this book. However, the producers of the narration should have hired three narrators to read this audiobook, one for each nurse. As listening to one narrator results in you getting lost as to which nurse you are currently with.

Pub date: 10/18/22
Genre: historical fiction
Thanks @harpermusebooks for my ARC and ALC!

Susan Meissner is one of my favorite writers, and she and co-authors Ariel Lawhon and Kristina McMorris hit a home run here! I loved learning about the Angels of Bataan, nurses imprisoned in the Philippines during WWII. The three MCs defied the odds to survive and care for their patients, and their hope in the face of adversity was so inspiring. Saskia Maarleveld did a great job narrating, creating three distinct voices for Eleanor, Penny, and Lita.

If you enjoy historical fiction, don't miss this one! 4.5 stars rounded to 5.

When We Had Wings
by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, Susan Meissner
Pub Date: October 18, 2022
Harper Muse

Thanks to the authors, publisher, and NetGalley for the ARC of this book. From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival. I think this would make a great book club selection. As a leader of a book club at our library, I am constantly on the search for the next book we should read together.
Great book!
4 stars

✨Audiobook Review✨

When We Had Wings
-Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Pub Date: October 18, 2022

👩🏻‍⚕️ Synopsis:
The Philippines, 1941. When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.

Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope— and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.

💭Thoughts:
Wow! This book has a bit of everything- romance, friendship, drama, suspense. The descriptions in this book really make you feel like you are right there in the conflict with the nurses. Being a nurse myself, I couldn’t imagine the conditions these nurses had to work in. Their strength is truly inspiring. Prior to reading this book I knew nothing about the Angels of Bataan. Now after listening to this story, I am leaning so much.

I found myself really endured to Penny, Lita, and Eleanor. Their friendship was a light spot in this heartbreaking book. The middle of the book slowed a bit, but I had to know what happened to them.

I definitely recommend this book to anyone who enjoys historical fiction about World War II.

Hands down, When We Had Wings is the best WWII novel I have read this year. Based on the real-life experiences of the Angels of Bataan, this book is both heartbreaking and inspiring. Though certainly a story of war, it's foremost a story about friendship, self-discovery, and the capacity of love humans can have for each other in a time of turmoil.

Starting off in Manila pre-the attack on Pearl Harbor, we follow Penny, Eleanor, and Lita, three nurses who form a bond early in their assignments. At first, their stay almost feels like a vacation. Their work is light and Lita, local to the area, gets the opportunity to play tour guide. However, after the attack, things change drastically, eventually leading to new assignments that force the friends to part ways. When Japan turns its hostility toward the Philippines, it's only a matter of time before the three women find themselves in various internment camps. They have to do whatever they can to survive all the while worrying and wondering where the others have ended up.

Along with Penny, Lita, and Eleanor, there are several equally as wonderful supporting characters; friends, colleagues, priests, children, love interests... confined in prisons with captors who have no regard for international human rights laws, we get countless glimpses of people banding together to help one another survive.

All three of the storylines were a delight to read and flowed together nicely with each other. The pacing was on the slower side but immersive. There were some points in the book where it took me a few minutes to realize I was crying because I was so engrossed in the story and was surrounded by it in my mind. Kudos to all three of the authors! Another kudos to Saskia Maarleveld for her marvelous narration of the audiobook.

Thanks to Harper Muse and NetGalley for providing a free audio ARC to read and review!

This book was so fascinating - I love WWII historical fiction, but the way this tale was told from a new perspective that we don't hear from a ton in this genre (female nurses who are also POWs) and about a part of the war we haven't seen a ton of literature about either (Manila / Philippines / Pacific Islands). I'm a rare audiobook fan but when I saw this one I had to request it - and I'm glad I did! Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advanced copy.

Americans Eleanor Lindstrom and Penny Franklin are both running away, and joining the Navy and Army nursing corps seems like just the ticket to leave their pasts behind. Getting stationed in the Philippines in the South Pacific feels like a dream assignment. They quickly befriend local Lita Capel, a fellow nurse, who works alongside the military nurses. The three women instantly bond over their shared dream of a new start, but little do these women realize their new beginning is about to become a nightmare.

As the Philippines is invaded by Japan, the three women are forced to serve in combat conditions that deteriorate as the years drag on. These “Angels of Bataan” never stop doing their jobs, aiding the sick and wounded as they are imprisoned. The Emperor of Japan never ratified the most recent version of the articles of the Geneva convention, and does not hold his prison camps to any standard of human decency. The three women come in and out of each other’s lives during their internment and help to bolster each other, providing hope for the future.

When We Had Wings, though written collaboratively, flows seamlessly and is very hard to step away from. Each character’s story is so well written and the friendship between the friends is inspiring. This story about the Angels of Bataan is a must read for those who enjoy the WWII historical fiction genre.

Thank you to Netgalley, Harper Muse Audio, and the authors (Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner) for the advanced copy of the book. When We Had Wings comes out on October 18th. All opinions are my own.

When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner
Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

Overall 4.5
Spice 0

• Angels of Bataan
• First American Female POWs
• Engaging and Emotional
• Intense But Not Overly Graphic
• Greatest Generation
• Multi-POV
• Diverse

BIG thank you to Harper Muse and NetGalley for the Audio ARC of When We Had Wings by Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris and Susan Meissner, Narrated by Saskia Maarleveld

This brilliantly written story is about the nurses who endured capture during the Japanese Occupation of the Philippians. I appreciated the multiple POVs, particularly the story of Filipina nurse Lita Capel. It can be easy to focus only on the American experience of World War II however the addition of Lita keeps the story diverse and engaging. This book could have also delved into the depressing and horrific quite easily however it stays hopeful and though intense it is not overly graphic. I appreciate the push in publishing recently of these little-known stories of the women of WWII. The narrator has a Huskey Mid-Atlantic Accent perfect for Historical Fiction however it was hard to differentiate the multiple POVs as the narrator didn't change up her cadence or dramatization. I think this book would have benefitted from having multiple Narrators

Three women have joined the American war effort as Air Force nurses in World War II. Eleanor is fleeing the hurt and humiliation of loving a man who was in love with another woman, Penny is widow, wanting more for her life than just another marriage, and Lita is a mixed race woman who wants to join her sisters who are nurses in the United States. They form a friendship when they are stationed at bases in the Philippines, but are separated when the Japanese take control of the islands. Forced into inhumane living conditions in prison camps with little food and water, physical and emotional abuse and worse, this book is based on the real life stories of the nurses that history has dubbed “the Angels of Bataan”. Unforgettable

These three master storytellers came together to give all of us this exquisite piece of literature, and I, for one, am very happy about that!! I love my historical fiction, and with this book I was able to learn so much more than the typical WW2/Pearl Harbor drama. We're taken to the Philippines and are given a very close up look into what it looked like for Army nurses at that time (my dad's rank and profession, coincidentally enough - which is part of the reason I requested this egalley). The nurses on this team are all female and we're shown all the ins and outs of being captured by the Japanese Imperial Army and held in several different POW camps, a very harsh reality indeed.

I like that the romance didn't drown out the plot, which was very essential to the storyline, but it was still given enough of a presence for an element of happiness in a time and place where there were very few things to be happy about. Sort of like a light at the end of a long, dreary tunnel.

A few things that made me subtract a star from this otherwise fantastic book... The relationship between the three women. We're not given much of a backstory on their bond/friendship. Just that they worry about each other immensely while held at different/separate prison camps. Was it that they went through Basic together? Met at parties after graduation? But even then that doesn't really work because 1 of the girls is Navy. And at least 1 is Army. So their Basic/Boot Camp would have been separate. Did they meet at Tech/Training school? When they were being trained on how to be a military nurse? I'm still wondering about this after reading the last page and it's bothering me.

Thanks netgalley for giving me the advanced audiobook so that I can listen then share my thoughts and opinions with y'all 💛