Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for an advanced digital copy.

I enjoyed the historical aspect of this story- but struggled with all the characters. This is such a different story from the WW2 stories we are used to. Loved that this was primarily a story about women - and the strength and resilience they have.

The story of these women and how they survived and endured camp life is quite amazing. I just wish I could have connected with the characters.

I am a big fan of Heather Morris and have read many of her books - so was elated to receive an early ebook and audio of Sisters Under the Rising Sun. Morris is excellent at taking war and creating a story that leaves you in all your feels. If you’re a historian fiction fan (with a lot of her stories stemming from real people) you will enjoy this book. I like that this book also is WWII but takes it out of Europe which is so rare for a WWII book.

Singapore is no longer a safe place, and Norah Chambers and her husband John decide to send their daughter to safety. Norah and John then board a boat with nurses from Australia. Unfortunately, the boat is attached by Japan enemies, and those that did survive are taken to Japanese POW camps. Norah and her sister Ena, Nesta St. James and her remaining nursing colleagues begin what becomes a 3.5 year internment. Disease, starvation, depression, and cruelty become harsh realities. The women will come to rely on each other for help and hope. They use what little resources they have to lift one another up during the darkest of times – music, food, community, and friendship.

This is a story of heartbreak, perseverance and true grit. Another winner from Morris that I highly recommend

I absolutely adored Sisters Under the Rising Sun, a WWII historical fiction novel by the talented Heather Morris! This book had all the makings of the perfect read - a captivating storyline that had me engrossed from start to finish, well-crafted characters that I loved accompanying, and an immersive setting that drew me right in. The novel explores the experiences of a group of women who were held in a Japanese POW camp and beyond. I appreciated the fresh perspective that this story offered in a saturated genre as it delved into a piece of WWII history that is often overlooked. This book was truly enlightening and provided me with a newfound understanding of the struggles and hardships faced during the war. It's a story that emphasizes the power of friendship during even the toughest times, with themes of family, sisterhood, resilience, and survival. I can't recommend this book enough - add it to the top of your TBR list! You won't regret it!

I've read many books about WWII so I'm always pleasantly surprised when I read a story about an aspect that I hadn't read about before. While this story has a lot of characters (sometimes I confused a few of them) it shows you just how much these women relied on the strength of each other to help them through the horrific experience of being held in a Japanese POW camp. This story is the epitome of the power of friendships and survival.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book. Unfortunately, I could not get in to the book. With many other books to read, I decided to dnf for now.

Wow! I absolutely loved this incredible WWII historical fiction novel by the talented Heather Morris! Sisters Under the Rising Sun had all of the markings of a perfect read. It had a compelling storyline that had me hooked from beginning to end, wonderful characters that I enjoyed coming alongside, and an atmospheric setting that drew me right in. The book delves into the lives of a group of women and what they experienced having been held in a Japanese POW camp and much more thereafter. I'm grateful for the fresh perspective this story offered in this saturated genre as it explored a piece of WWII history that isn't always looked at. There was truly so much here and that I walked away with, especially as I got a greater understanding of what was endured during the war. This is a story that shows the power of friendship during even the most tumultuous times with themes themes of family, sisterhood, resilience, and survival. I cannot say enough good things here and will leave you with this. Add this book to the top of your TBR! You won't regret it!!

Many thanks to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the gifted e-copy!

This book tells the story of two sisters Norah and Ena along with A group of Australian Nurses headed by Sister Nesta James as they are captured trying to flee Singapore; the group of women are then held in captive for the next three and half years by the Japanese Army in Indonesia. While the group of women endure hardship, loss, starvation, and emotional trauma, their spirit of hope and life continues. This book shows what the power of women’s friendship can do to bring people through the most difficult circumstances. It's also lovely to read a historical WWII fiction book about the Pacific theater, which is often overlooked

WOW. What an incredible story about resilience and loss and sisterhood.

Heather Morris has a way to write about interment camps that makes me want to read about internment camps.

This book pulled me in from the very start and didn't let go. This was a fascinating read of a part of WWII that I honestly did not ever hear of before. I was so intrigued by everything, and Heather Morris' descriptions made me feel like I was there. Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Rich in historical detail and based on true events, this is a tale of resilience and courage. I was captivated from the first page.
Many thanks to St. Martin’s Press and to Netgalley for providing me with a galley in exchange for my honest opinion.

I received this advance reader copy from NetGalley in exchange for a fair review. The novel had all the great dramatic makings of an interesting WWII storyline. But unfortunately, I found the characters under developed and what dramatic developments there might have been, were very slow to show up and not as engaging as I had hoped. Likely a good novel for those who are most interested in book club historical fiction.

Thank you St. Martin's Press for the gifted copy.

This book tells the story of a group of women being held in a Japanese POW camp after their boat sank escaping Singapore. They endured many horrors in the years they were imprisoned - starvation, abuse, disease. These women banded together to survive and help each other instead of solely themselves.

I appreciated that this was a WW2 historical fiction set somewhere other than Europe, and I was interested in the premise. The themes of sisterhood and found family between the girls were strong. It’s based on a true story and at the end, we get notes about what happened to the main characters after their rescue. Unfortunately the book itself missed the mark for me overall, and honestly, it was the writing. It didn’t have the depth her other books had. I love historical fiction, and I enjoyed her other books, but this one just isn’t her best work.

Heather Morris never fails to make me cry. This is another of her impeccably researched and beautifully told stories of survival, this time focusing on women fighting to survive imprisonment by the Japanese. I've never heard about this POW experience before and it will haunt me for a long time. PS - don't miss the author's note.

Thanks to St. Martin's for the copy to review.

WW2 historical fiction often has many common themes. Heather Morris is the amazing ability to take true stories that are unique and bring them to readers. The premise of this book was very intriguing and unlike many other historical fiction books I have read in this time period. It is well written however it is also somewhat disappointing. Given the large scope of the story it covers many characters and a long period of time. The number of characters made it difficult to keep track of them at times and led to an inability to connect with each character. It was often choppy to read about the different events. It was long and quite slow in some places. Not my favorite of this author but based on her previous works she will continue to be a must read author for me.

Astounding Historical Novel. Nurses caring for soldiers in WWII, Pacific when the ship they are on is sunk by the Japanese. Most are from Australia. Few make it to shore. Even fewer survive to be captured and interned in a Japanese camp. Moving frequently these women become the heart and soul for survival encouraging the other civilians. They endure u speakable acts against them. Their spirit and drive for survival is amazing. Very few historical novels address these experience. A Must Read!.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris
#historicalfiction
#netgalley published 10/24/23


Just an amazing story of survival from just the women from Australia, England and Netherlands that have been captured and gathered into P.O.W. camps in Sumatra for 3-1/2 years. Starting off with 65 Australian Army nurses and ending up with only a fraction of them in the end.

This story is based on the real life pint-sized Australian woman, Sister Nesta James, who becomes the nurse in charge and 2 sisters one of which is real life English classically trained musician Norah Chambers who were on a ship that has been shot down and sunk by the Imperial Japanese Army. Nesta keeps the bodies of women as heathly as she can while Norah takes care to keep their minds in a happier place with her music. The music is also lead by a Sister Margaret who becomes and important person in the camp. Together they create a "voice orchestra".

The story shows so many of the struggles they went through during those times. It pulled me in from the very beginning. It was very easy to read. And I wanted to continue reading to see what happened next and to see who would survive until liberation by the Allied forces. Wonderful book on a horrible topic as per HM's typical MO.

#stmartinspress
#basedonatruestory
#bookstagram #bookrecommendation #booknerdsbookreview #bookreview

A beautiful story by Heather Morris focusing on a group of women that are captured by the Japanese during WWII. It’s a story of survival and building family in the most dire of situations. The women are sent to internment camps where the struggle to survive is real. There is brutality in the survival but the piece that resonates is the undying commitment to each other that these women had towards each other. Based on real life women, this story gives a glimpse into the lives of these heroic women and brings a sense of camaraderie and hope to the reader. Thanks to NetGalley for the read.

An amazing yet tragic story and one that highlights brave women in wartime who have been almost forgotten. I have loved each and every one of the books that Heather Morris has written. This was not my favorite but it is worth the read!
What I loved:
1. Shines the light on a piece of history that has been overlooked.
2. Depicts the strong female bonds and the role that they played in sustaining these women and children during the horrendous times.
3. Highlighted the role of music and how it can impact our lives in so many ways.

What I wished had been different:
1. There were so many characters - it was hard to keep them all straight.
2. I found the flow of the book a little jarring at time because it was told in an almost "story" like way.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was looking forward to this one but also not sure if I was emotionally ready. Heather Morris is the author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz as well, which absolutely wrecked me. If you aren’t familiar with her, all of her novels are based on real people and events. This one takes place during WWII at a Japanese POW camp. Norah Chambers, an English musician and mother, and Sister Nesta James, an Australian nurse, are aboard a ship leaving Singapore when it is hit by a bomb and sunk. After surviving 24 hours in the water, they make it to the beach, only to be taken prisoner. This is a story of incredible strength and resilience, and of the bonds formed between these and many other women while they are held for nearly 4 years.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for my copy!

Quick and Dirty⁣
-WWII historical fiction ⁣
-POW camp story⁣
-strong female friendships⁣
-highly character-driven⁣
⁣
Thoughts⁣
I’ve only read one of Heather Morris’ novels, but I did enjoy that one, so I went into this with high hopes. And while it was a well-written book, it didn’t really work for me. What I enjoyed: the overall plot/premise of the book was compelling, but it felt like it had been done before. I kept getting confused about what I’d read in this book vs another very similar novel. Friendships were a big part of this book, some of which infused the story with hope despite the bleak feeling of the book at times. Hunger, disease, and death are common themes throughout the story, making it feel like torture porn which I don’t particularly enjoy. The main difference between this one book vs other internment novels I’ve read was the choir, which I’ll be honest, was not of any interest to me. Who might enjoy this? Anyone who loves character-driven stories with a strong focus on female friendships, hardships, and loss, and the power of music may enjoy this one.