This story grabbed me from page 1, and I could not put it down. It details the harrowing ordeal of the civilians that were captured by the Japanese when Singapore fell in 1942. Some were captured in the city itself and some were taken when the ships they were fleeing the city on were destroyed.

The story involves two sisters and a group of Australian nurses that were captured from the sinking ship HMS Vyner Brooke in the Banka Strait. Little did any of them know this was the start of three years of unimaginable hell, including starvation and forced labor. Many did not return.

In a market that is saturated with books about WWII in the European theater, this covers a different segment of the war that I knew little about. The author does a fantastic job of bringing the characters to life. The horrific conditions and elements of their captivity are presented in such a way that you can feel the extremely disturbing elements of the situation, but you still feel compelled to continue. I highly recommend this book.

I requested and reviewed this book for NetGalley.

I've read previous books by Heather Morris and enjoyed them and was looking forward to her latest release, this one did not disappoint. Set during WWII you follow Nesta, a nurse for the Australian army and Norah, who along with her husband and sister are fleeing their home to avoid the Japanese invasion. After the ship they are all on gets bombed Nesta and Norah find themselves in a Japanese POW camp. Nesta and Norah work together to help the other prisoners and themselves survive.

I enjoy reading historical fiction, particularly ones that are set during WWII. This was a different side to read about, I've not read many books during this time that focused on the Japanese involvement and their POW camps. This like any war historical fiction book can be hard to read. Like previous books by Morris the women mentioned in this book are based in real life women. Nesta and Norah were strong and endured so much to survive as they were constantly moved between camps. They fought back when they could and helped the other women in their camp, even sacrificing their own food and comfort to help the women who were sick and more in need.

An interesting look into another part of WWII that sheds light on a group of women who suffered under the Japanese army. Another great read by Morris.

Another harrowing story from WWII. I COULDN’t believe what I was reading! The Japanese were so cruel to their prison’s of war. The telling of this story must of been heart wrenching to the author. Can’t say this type of story was “good” , it certainly was enlightening! So hard to believe that anyone could live through this.

I appreciate novels that shed light on marginalized topics especially when it comes to World War 2. The prison camps within Asia run by the Japanese and the horrible suffering and conditions suffered is often not part of the history. I appreciate Ms. Morris' portrayal of actual women and the integrating authentic details into the story through her contact with family and relatives. Her note that these women's stories must be told so as not to be forgotten is vital. I have recently read several other novels about the prison camps in Asia so this was a good compliment to that. Following a group of Australian nurses along with various English shipwrecked women and children who suffer malnutrition, torture, disease, and inhumane living conditions at the had of the Japanese all while persevering to surviving and overcoming. It's a testament to the human spirit.

Thank you to @netgalley and @StMartinsPress for this ARC. Sisters Enu and Norah as well as her husband John are fleeing Singapore as it is being bombed by the Japanese. When the ship they fled on was bombed, and spending quite some time in the water, they finally washed ashore. They soon find out they are not alone and several Australian nurses were also on their ship to provide care. With this island also commanded by the Japanese, they all became prisoners of war. Trying to survive the hardships and the brutality of their captors, they grow a community with a church, a newspaper and soon a garden. The nurses also built a makeshift hospital. Over the next 3 years, they were moved several times to even worse conditions, disease and death. Heather Morris once again writes a story of resilience. Though I was very excited to read another of Morris' books, I am on the fence with this one. I felt that the book was a little trite. It is written like facts - they moved, they worked, they got sick, they died instead of how they felt. I also thought the hardships were really glossed over. They were starving but hey, let's write a newspaper. However, the stories of these nurses and prisoners are factual and a story I knew nothing about. It has now sent me down a rabbit hole of research and to be honest, Morris states, I don't want these characters remembered, I want them known. That she did beautifully! #SistersUndertheRisingSun #HeatherMorris #Oct2023 #StMartinsPress

I always enjoy reading about true events that the world knows nothing about. I had no idea that there were so many female nurses and civilians from WWII held captive by the Japanese. I had read The Tattooist of Auschwitz and was looking forward to this book.
The story centers around the three years and and seven months of captivity and the horrific conditions they experienced. At times the story felt simplistic and too many characters made it difficult to keep them straight. It read very differently from her earlier work and was not what I was hoping for. It had its heartwarming moments but there were so many that it seemed not as authentic as it could have been.
Thank you to NetGalley and St.Martin’s Press for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Australian author Heather Morris has an uncanny ability to find little known stories from World War 2 and tell them in a way that makes them accessible to the readers of today. I have enjoyed her other books and know that in several she was approached and asked to help tell the story. This novel is a little different from others in that it moves away from the European theatre of the war and focuses primarily on the wartime experiences of Australian Army nurses captured by Japanese soldiers and imprisoned in horrific conditions until the end of the war in Japan.

To quote the author: 'I have not told this story so the women internees of the Japanese prisoner-of-war camps in Indonesia will be remembered. I have told this story so they will be known...alongside those of all male prisoners of war, their suffering no less'.
I believe the author has done this admirably.

The inspiration for the novel began with the story of the nurses and other women and children aboard the Vyner Brook ship as they attempted to flee Indonesia prior to the Japanese take-over. The ship was sunk and the survivors survived extremely difficult conditions just to get to land. They witnessed a massacre of women including some of their nursing comrades and forced to surrender they found themselves in horrific living conditions with little food or water. As nurses used to caring for others, the Sisters stepped up from the beginning to care for others and do their best to improve conditions for everyone. Their story is told in three parts over the three year period of their stay.

I did struggle with reading this book - not because of the horrors that it described (which were truly awful), but because Morris chose to write the novel basically in the present tense as if the narrator is telling the story as it happens. I have found this seems to be more common in books these days and it always frustrates me as a reader. Because of my frustration I found myself putting the book down more often and slowing the reading process. As the story progressed it bothered me somewhat less as the depth of the research and the inspiration of these women captured me. I really appreciated the author's note at the end which gave details about these very real women.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed 'Sisters Under the Rising Sun.' I always enjoy reading books about little parts of history that remain relatively unknown, and while the Japanese internment camps are not by any means unknown, this book took place in Singapore which was a much less well known setting for these atrocities. I appreciate the fact that Morris chose to depict this less known are and bring some of these things to light and highlight what is often overshadowed by the many endless and much more well known atrocities of WWII.

I really liked our MC and rooted for her every step of the way, I love reading about the strength of women at a time when people are typically thinking of the strength of men. It made for difficult reading, as is common for me when it comes to historical fiction knowing that so many elements were based on reality. It was hard to read about the seemingly endless tragedies that some people were faced with, but I was very much invested in our character and this kept me reading to the very end.

My one and only complaint isn't a huge one, but I do think it's worth mentioning. The writing itself can be at times slightly elementary, which took me out of the story a few times, but for the most part it was decent and held my attention throughout till the end, 3.5 stars rounded up.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: October 24, 2023
Heather Morris’ “The Tattooist of Auschwitz” and “Three Sisters” were two of the most emotionally charged, powerful and fascinating World War two novels I’ve read in some time, and continue to be two of my favourite World War Two fiction novels to date. When “Sisters Under the Rising Sun”, Morris’ new release, was offered to me, I couldn’t say “yes” fast enough.
Norah Chambers is a musician who sends her eight-year-old daughter, Sally, across the ocean to live with relatives in order to avoid the incoming horror threatened by the Japanese as they slowly make their way down the Pacific. Sister Nesta James, and a few of her fellow nuns and nurses, have been called to the front lines to help, but when Nesta’s boat is bombed, Nesta, Norah and the rest of the survivors spent forty-eight hours at sea before they make their way to a remote island. Here, all of the women and men are separated, and for the next three years, Norah, Nesta and the rest of the women survivors, find themselves POWs under Japan’s rule, desperately trying to survive in deplorable conditions.
“Rising Sun” portrays a unique perspective from Morris’ other novels, depicting POWs taken by the Japanese mid-World War Two. This was an informative take, as there are not many historical fiction novels that highlight the treatment of POWs by the Japanese soldiers, and this portrayal was both emotional and provocative. Of course, in typical Morris fashion, she builds her characters from real-life personalities, to add those little extra components of character development and realism to the plot.
Although Norah, her sister, Ena, Nesta and all of the other brave women, nuns, nurses, or otherwise, deserve full recognition and applause, the writing style of this novel was not at all like Morris’ other novels. “Rising Sun” was written so differently, in fact, I was left wondering if it was written by someone else, and Morris agreed to put her name to it, or if perhaps it had been written in another language and translated to English. “Sun” is very dialogue-driven and character heavy, in such a way that the entire novel is written as a conversation between the women. The setting, outside of their location, is barely detailed, and even some of the plot points are glossed over, covered only in minor conversational detail. I found it really difficult to become invested in the characters or the outcome, and if it wasn’t for the outright respect I had for these wonderful human beings, I probably would’ve stopped reading altogether.
The novel is divided into three parts, and Norah and Nesta take turns narrating each chapter. This incredible story had so much potential, and Morris would have been the perfect choice to write it based on her previous works, but something missed the mark with me. I will be shaking this one off and moving on, but I have not yet given up on Morris and look forward to where she will take me next.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris is a powerful and moving historical fiction novel set during World War II. The story follows Norah Chambers and Sister Nesta James as they navigate the harrowing realities of being prisoners of war in Japanese camps after surviving the sinking of the Vyner Brooke merchant ship.

Morris skillfully brings to life the emotions, struggles, and resilience of these women, showcasing their unbreakable bond and compassion amidst the horrors of war. Through her meticulous attention to historical detail and her ability to humanize these characters, Morris crafts a compelling narrative that sheds light on lesser-known aspects of the war and highlights the strength of the human spirit

Heather Morris is a master storyteller. She knows exactly how to pen a story that sets you in the scene itself. She tells such a beautiful story about WW2. She sets this one in Asia in a POW camp. It’s beautifully written and pulls at your heartstrings.

Set during the Pacific war and the invasion of Singapore by the Japanese Empire. Evacuees trying to flee prior to the fall of Singapore boarded merchant ships to try to get back to British controlled territory. Some ships made it and others like the Vyner Brook were sunk by the Japanese air force. Those who survived became prisoners of war. The men and women are separated and shuffled from one prison camp to another. This is the story of a group of resilient women and children of different nationalities, who used their individual talents to create a community to survive over three years of captivity.

I liked that this is a story that highlights a part of history that is relatively unknown. Writing about these female prisoners of war and setting it in the Pacific theatre and specifically the fall of Singapore is a less known setting. Although I did enjoy and care about many of the characters, I didn't connect to them the way I was expecting. I wanted to know what happened to them and what they went on to do, but they tended to blend together for me. All in all, it was an enjoyable read, it just didn't hook me the way that her earlier novels did.

Thank you to Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my review.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC! Having read The Tatooist of Auschwitz trilogy by Heather Morris, I knew this was going to be a fantastic novel and she did not disappoint. Having little known knowledge about what transpired in the Pacific during the second world war, I was astounded by how the Japanese army treated POWs, especially women and children. Many Dutch, Australian, New Zealander, English and American citizens who worked in Indonesia were stopped and taken as POWs in early 1942. They were placed in filthy, disease ridden camps with little food similar conditions to what transpired in some German camps during that same time period. They were brutalized, humiliated and relocated several times throughout the three and a half years. They did, however, find the will to go on by leaning on each other. I was inspired by the shear grit and will these women had and found their stories heartbreaking. The selflessness they all acted with for the benefit of the others in the camp was also astonishing. Being a lover of historical fiction, I now have more awareness of other conflicts that occured throughout that period in history and it has persuaded me to learn more about the involvement of the Japanese military during the war. An excellent story based on true events that I would strongly encourage others to read.

Thank you to Netgalley and publisher for an arc in exchange for my honest opinions.

Publication: October 24, 2023

Rating: 2.5 stars (rounded up)

Insert a sigh here. First off, I loved Morris's previous books (all five star reads from me) so when I was perusing the Netgalley catalog and saw her next book, I immediately requested it.

The synopsis showed a piece of WW2 information that I haven't heard of so I was intrigued. I had read a lot of WW2 books in my late teens and early twenties so lately I've tried to find different time periods to learn about.

Unfortunately, I learned quickly that this book wasn't going to sit well with me. I gave her the 2.5 stars for all the research and time it took to write these stories into a book. However, we are immediately thrown into the story and introduced to character after character without much fleshing out.

The main theme that I gathered with her writing was chaotic. I had such a hard time figuring out what was going on. For someone new to Morris's books, I wouldn't recommend starting with this one but picking one of her previous three.

It's a bummer that I didn't click with this book at all because I'm sure it had the makings of being an amazing book but the execution killed it for me.

Thank you to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy of Heather Morris' newest novel, 'Sisters Under the Rising Sun'. I absolutely loved, 'The Tattooist of Auschwitz' book series, so I was very excited to be selected for Heather Morris' newest book. This books is not about the Holocaust like Morris' other books however, this is a beautifully written book about suffering and hope in the midst of unspeakable times and is based on true events experienced by Norah Chambers, nurse Nesta James and their fellow women prisoners of war in Japanese internment camps during WW2. Morris again provides readers with a heartbreaking, but inspiring story about persevering in horrific conditions while somehow becoming more compassionate. Highly recommend reading this one!

Heather Morris has done it again! This book about a little know slice of history, #sistersundertherisingsun is full of wonderful characterizations, humanity in the face of inhumanity, survival and forming a family where you are. I was moved to tears and felt for the characters in this WW II novel following some Australian nurses and women internees. At times the events were hard to handle but this was told with compassion and frankness but also courage and perseverance. Thank you to #netgalley and #stmartinspress for this arc to read and review, all opinions are my own.

Firstly, I have loved Heather Morris' previous books. I love the way she sheds light on lesser known stories of major historical events. While I enjoyed her last 3 books, this one was very hard for me to read. I'm not sure if it was the diverting from Europe to Asia, or the fact that I have issues with Japanese POW camps, but this book was not good to me.

While I know I got to read an ARC, I found the format of this book to be very off. Disreguarding the many (MANY) spelling, grammatical and editing errors, the format made me feel really disconnected. The chapters are long, but they are broken up in to so many mini paragraphs I found it really hard to keep track of who's POV it was and what was going on. I also just didn't connect with any of the characters, not particularly liking anyone so not being overly worried about what happened to them. Did I do a huge Wiki spiral into all the women and events? Hell yeah! But that's the only reason I kept reading, was just to get more of that historical knowledge; not because I was particularly enjoying the story.

2 stars. Am a little disappointed with the book overall, but can't help but appreciate the effort it must have taken to bring this story to light, and showcase the strength and resilience of these wonderful women.

I have a hard time reviewing Heather Morris’ books. Like The Tattooist of Auschwitz, the book tells such an important story and the historical notes at the end make the story extremely powerful; however, I find the writing so simplistic that it prevents me from feeling fully immersed in the story and distracts from my enjoyment. I rounded up to 5 stars for The Tattooist; this time around I’m going to round down.

Thank you very much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced reader’s copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley for the opportunity to read and review this book. I am an avid reader of World War II historical fiction so I was thrilled to be able to read this book focusing on a group of women who were held in a Japanese POW camp for over three years. The story focused on the group of women who included Dutch nuns, Australian nurses and English citizens and how they formed friendships and fought the harsh conditions that they were subjected to.. I thought that this was a well researched book based on the notes about the real people in the afterword, the only difficulty that I had with this book was that there were many different characters and at times I could not keep track of who was who. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys reading historical fiction.

I read this book in a day. I think this book is one of the best books I have ever read about the human spirit. It was so different than the usual WW2 fiction. There were a lot of characters and I was able to connect with them all. I cried. I felt their spirit. Highly recommend. 5 stars