Reading about Singapore in WWII in this book was a first for me. I found it intriguing to see how the Japanese army treated prisoners. I also have never read about Australian women in the war. Nesta and Norah are two incredibly strong women. Whether it’s Sister Nesta leading her nurses and doing everything to help the injured and sick, or Norah, doing everything she can to take care of her family, they will do anything they can to survive.

Heather’s stories always suck me in, and this story definitely did. Even though her books involve war camps, which I usually steer away from, I can’t do that when she writes them.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for my ARC of this book.

"Sister Under the Rising Sun" appears to be a gripping tale of courage and resilience set against the backdrop of World War II. Heather Morris, known for her poignant storytelling in "The Tattooist of Auschwitz," crafts a narrative that follows the intertwined lives of Norah Chambers and Sister Nesta James as they navigate the horrors of war. The decision Norah faces to send her daughter away from the encroaching Japanese army sets the stage for heart-wrenching sacrifices and challenges ahead. The sinking of the Vyner Brooke and the subsequent capture by the Japanese add layers of tension and danger to their already perilous journey.

Morris seems to adeptly capture the strength and camaraderie of women thrust into extraordinary circumstances, highlighting their resilience, resourcefulness, and unwavering determination to survive. The bond formed between Norah and Nesta amidst the brutality of the POW camps promises to be a central theme, showcasing the power of sisterhood even in the darkest of times.

With echoes of historical truth and inspired by real events, "Sister Under the Rising Sun" is poised to be a compelling exploration of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Fans of Morris's previous works and readers drawn to tales of survival and resilience in wartime settings are likely to find this novel a captivating and moving read.

I was never much interested in reading historical fiction until I picked up my first Heather Morris book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. The way Morris tells the unbelievable and shocking stories of those who lived through wars I cannot even imagine is moving and relatable. She turns far away stories into ones that feel like they’re in my backyard, happening to people I know.

In Sisters Under the Rising Sun, Morris paints a picture of nurses and mothers and daughters who are going through the unthinkable, all the while being selfless in sharing and caring for others, trying to stay positive with their signing and laughter l… I cannot imagine being in high spirits in the situations depicted in this book. I’m glad the story wasn’t bogged down with filler or backstory, we start the book right in the thick of things and continue to wade through that thickness the entire story. I felt like I was holding my breathe with each page just waiting to see what was coming next.

I combined physical reading with audio and was so glad I did because the singing that was incorporated into the audiobook was both moving and haunting. My favorite part of this book was, as it always is with Morris, is how much care and detail she put into researching to get the stories right. She really does justice to the people who lived these lives and continued to persevere through all life through at them. It was heartbreaking and enlightening, yet still motivating in the way the woman in this story took charge and helped themselves as well as everyone around them.

If Heather Morris wasn’t already an auto buy author for me, this book would’ve made her one. I am always in awe of the spectacular writing, story telling and history that fill her books.

Heather Morris does it again with this captivating story of sisters. I highly recommend adding this book to your list. You won’t regret it. Her words come to life and have you wanting more.

Extraordinary! There is much to say about these characters and their stories. Heather Morris has crafted a true, yet tragic tale of courage, perseverance, friendship and love. Strong, determined and defiant women, representing the best of Great Britain and Australia, held their ground for three years, despite inhumane conditions at the hands of their Japanese captors. The truth behind the story is heartbreaking. Through illness, starvation, filth and death, these women remained strong, bolstered by friendship, music and hope. These formidable women will long live within me.

Full 5 ⭐️
Highly recommend the audio experience

Thank you to Netgalley for the Ebook ARC of this title, which I read in conjunction with the audiobook from my local library.

Heather is phenomenal at plucking the stories of brave men and women, out of historical tragedies, and shining a light on the goodness and hope that they brought and/or continue to bring to the world around them.

The women from this book, featuring nurses and church sisters, along with civilian women and children, endured unimaginable circumstances as Japanese POW in the Pacific during WW2. Many of these people remained captive for years, witnessing/surviving brutal assault, starvation, disease, and death. And yet, they carried on, taking care of the women and children in the camp around them, the best they could. The systems they organized with little-to-no resources were remarkable, and ultimately led to the survival and rescue of hundreds of people that would have otherwise died.

Music played a major role in this story. I loved the symbolism of women of all backgrounds coming together in harmony to spark hope and comfort amongst the camps. This particular story illustrates the power music has to bring people together and uplift them in even the darkest times.

As a nurse myself, and lover of music, this group of women claimed a special part of my heart. Nurses, and women in general, truly are incredible!

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for allowing me to read this book in exchange for my honest review. I absolutely loved Heather Morris's The Tattooist of Auschwitz series but this one fell flat for me. I struggled to get through this and did not really get into it until about 70%. It then picked up and I ended up enjoying the end. That is the only reason I gave this 4 stars, otherwise it was a solid 3. I do not think I would recommend this book and I know I wouldn't read it again.

It always feels weird to say I enjoyed a historical fiction novel, but I did with this one. I have never read a WWII novel set in the camps for women captured in Japan. The strength these women had to get through being POW's was unbelievable. The sisterhood of the women working together to take care of the other prisoners was beautiful. The Tattooist of Auschwitz has stuck with me throughout the years, and I hate to compare, but this didn't quite live up to that. I would still recommend reading this if you are a historical fiction fan because the story is one that should be talked about and remembered throughout time.

So many moves between camps- so many lost women with sickness- so much strength and resiliency in the women. Another beautifully written novel from Heather Morris, SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN is one that approaches World War II from a different perspective.

Set initially in Singapore, there are many Allies living in the area, including Nesta, a Welsh sister that has signed up to support the war effort as a nurse. In the midst they survive a shipwreck, as well as run ashore and are captured by the Japanese. The women endure so much without faltering. They stick together in the most extreme of situations and follow through with a profoundly beautiful theme of inspiring music composed by the women.

If you enjoy historical fiction stories with strong FMCs, beautiful musical themes (as well as true singing on the audiobook!). As well as a unique perspective on WWII, then you will enjoy this story.

Was really excited to get to read a book by this author enjoyed all her other books. I couldn’t get into this book I tried reading it tried the audio version for me I think it was topic and couldn’t get into this story would still read more by author just wasn’t my kind of book

This book really just took me for a ride. I loved the build up, the character development, and the writing. I would definitely read more from this author because her research is unbelievable and I love the end of the book where I can see the actual main character what happened to them after the time where the book leaves off. Amazing.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris is a new area of World War II historical fiction for me. This story takes place on an island in Indonesia where the main characters are POWs of the Japanese, living in their terrible prisoner camps. The story is tragically, yet beautifully, told with the author doing an excellent good job of immersing the reader in the camps, which are smelly, dreadfully hot, lacking food, and full of disease. The book is based on real people and real events. One thing I really appreciated are the afterwards and author's note at the end of the book for the additional insight they give the reader.

Another beautifully moving historical fiction story based on the lives of real women who survived WWII.

This time bestselling author Heather Morris highlights the bravery of the women held in Japanese POW camps and the courage it took to survive the harsh conditions, starvation and abuse there. This was uniquely excellent on audio as music plays a key part of the story, with the women using songs to bolster their spirits and several are included on the audiobook. There is also excellent narration by Downton Abbey actress, Laura Carmichael. I highly recommend listening to this book.

Sisters Under The Rising Sun brought another perspective to WWII history - for families and nurses in the Australian army who were fleeing Singapore as the war drew close. Their ships were bombed and sank. Many people didn’t make it to shore, and those who did faced a grim future as prisoners of war.

We follow the women as they are moved between camps, separated from spouses, sometimes separated from each other. They endure terrible weather - extreme heat and monsoons - and ensure abuse from their captors.

Despite their situations, we hear how the women find ways to support and uplift each other through their 3.5 years of captivity.

A great reminder of the widespread impacts of WWII and how so many people were affected around the world. Thank you to @netgalley for providing a copy in exchange for an honest review.

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The premise of this book was very interesting but the dialogue was stilted and storyline seemed very choppy to me- I honestly thought about DNF this one a couple chapters in. I’ve enjoyed other books by this author but this one just didn’t do it for me. Can’t help but feel as though this book didn’t do justice for these amazing nurses. 2.5 stars out of 5 for me. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the free electronic copy.

Due to St. Martins Press refusal to address the remarks made by their employee regarding Palestine, I will not be reviewing this book on social media. This in no way has anything to do with the author. But I refuse to support anything from SMP because of their refusal to address a major issue at hand.

I can not rave enough about this book. For all who say they've read as much as much as they care to about WWII, you need to seriously consider changing your mind. Morris has written a book base on so much fact and told their story in a straightforward, moving manner. Japan torpedoed several boats off the coast of Singapore. Morris focuses on a group of people who managed to survive the torpedoes and end up on an island (Somalia). Eventually the Japanese separate the men and the women and put them in different 'camps'. Morris focuses on a women's camp. Their story is moving and amazing. This is a must read.

There are so many historical novels about World War II, but few of them focus on the Pacific Theater. Despite the large role that it played in American history, most American novels focus on the Western Front and the atrocities committed by Hitler. I am a sucker for fiction that feels new or different, so when I saw that Heather Morris’s new book focuses on the Pacific Theater, I had to read it. Sisters Under the Rising Sun not only felt both new AND different, but it is one of those books that will stick with me for the rest of the year.

The book opens by introducing Ena and Norah, two sisters living with their husbands and parents in Singapore. The Japanese bombing campaigns in Singapore are getting fierce, so they know they need to leave. John, Norah’s husband, contracts typhus, so John and Norah send their eight-year-old daughter, Sally, on a ship with her Aunt Barbara ahead of them. A week later, they follow. Ken, Ena’s husband, has to stay behind with the women’s ailing parents. The sisters and John, who is still very sick, board the Vyner Brooke. Unfortunately, the ship is bombed by the Japanese in route and sinks. Many inhabitants make it to an island off the coast of Indonesia, where they are imprisoned in a Japanese POW camp.

  Among the shipwrecked occupants are a group of nuns who work for the Australian Army Nursing Service. One nun, Nesta James, becomes their leader after their Matron is killed trying to make it to the island from the sea. The Japanese promptly separate the men from the women, leaving Norah with no knowledge on John’s whereabouts or if he even survived his struggle with typhus. Fear and anxiety grow in the new camp, causing the women to quickly bond together. 

  The women are treated horribly at the POW camp. They are nearly starved and subsist mostly on rice filled with weevils. Their living conditions are atrocious, with open sewage, a lack of food, rodents, dirty drinking water, and inadequate quarters throughout their three-year imprisonment. The Japanese eventually force some women to “entertain” their officers. With their condition appearing dire, the sisters know they must do something to increase morale and give the women something to live for.

   One day, the women decide that they are going to publish a newspaper to help them keep each other’s spirits up so they don’t slip into despair. Later, they begin having concerts. This gives Norah, who was a trained musician, a crazy idea. She decides to teach the women to make their voices sound like different instruments. They form the “voice orchestra” and perform for the women (and even some of the Japanese). This keeps morale up until the women are simply too weak to sing any longer.

  Sisters Under the Rising Sun fictionalizes the real account of the Australian Army Nursing Service and the women imprisoned with them at the POW camp. The honor and bravery that these women portrayed in the face of their horrific surroundings is unspeakable. In the epilogue of the book, Morris notes that Australian citizens lined the streets with flowers to welcome home the nuns when they returned in 1945. It was only befitting that these brave women were given a hero’s welcome. Telling the story of this unit also checked a box that I have been longing to see– a positive portrayal of a religious person. As a religious person myself, I get very tired of the constant derogatory tone incorporated into so many pieces of contemporary fiction. It was nice to see a religious person portrayed in mainstream fiction that was not questioning or acting in a manner that was hypocritical of their faith. The nuns acted as nuns– they provided love and support to the women around them in any way they could.

  While I felt like the dialogue in the book felt underdeveloped, the plot that Morris weaved together made this a book that will stick with me for a long time. I foresee myself recommending it again and again to all of my historical fiction-loving friends.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This book takes place in WWII in the Pacific. Norah and her husband send their eight-year-old daughter Sally from Singapore on a ship to keep her safe from the Japanese. Norah stays behind to care for her husband and parents. Nesta is a Welsh Australian nurse who has been helping to care for the Allied troops. When Singapore falls to the Japanese, they board a merchant ship hoping to get to safety. They soon become fast friends. They are only on the ship for a few days when it is bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia. They spend twenty-four hours swimming to safety on a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and sent to a POW camp. They meet up with some of the other nurses and passengers from the ship. They are in horrific conditions, but the women have incredible inner strength to cope with their circumstances. Most of the books I’ve read focus on the war in Europe, but this book gave me a different perspective about this part of the war. I found this book hard to put down!

Also reviewed on B&N under 1IrishEyes430 and Kobo under IrishEyes430

Sisters Under the Rising Sun is a compelling and thought-provoking work of historical fiction that will appeal to fans of the genre. It serves as a powerful reminder of the bravery and resilience exhibited by women during a devastating period in history. Readers will find themselves deeply moved by the story and left with a renewed appreciation for the bonds of sisterhood and the strength of the human spirit.