A group of women from many countries become prisoners of the Japanese and this is their story, a story the needs to be told. Not quite like so many other war stories but very poignant all the same.

I enjoyed reading this book as it was to me a bit different than some of the other historical war stories I have read recently. The Vyner Brooke, one of the last ships carrying evacuees to leave Singapore but unfortunately hit and sunk the survivors were taken to POW camps.

The book brings Singapore at war, POW camps and the courage and strength of these women to life, it brings them back to us and I found this to be a very intriguing and heartfelt read. Survival, courage, bravery, camaraderie and trauma. This is a strong book and a great read.

Thank you NetGalley and Echo Publishing for giving me the opportunity to read and review this book.

Not sure what it is but this seems to be the year of being disappointed by writers I have previously loved.

I listened to both of Heather Morris' previous books on audio and loved them so perhaps this would have been better on audio. I admire how she manages to find such varied and unique experiences from WWII that haven't already been covered. However this one just didn't do it for me.

Mainly because everyone was so excrutiatingly NICE to each other. Obviously I'm talking about the internees, not the Japanese guards, but even they aren't that horrible. Yes, I get that often difficult times bring out the best in people, but I mean it's a war and they're in a really horrible situation, surely they'd be a bit grumpy at least some of the time? Yet every interraction between the characters is so saccarine I had to skim most of it. As were the descriptions of the music and everyone's reactions to it.

Perhaps she just didn't want another depressing and awful account of the period, but I've read other uplifting WWII books and what makes them more uplifting is a balanced counterpoint with the bad. At times, it doesn't even seem like they're in a POW camp.

The only detailed tragedy is at the beginning when they are trying to escape Singapore to Australia. So if you want something relatively fluffy for this era, with not much violence or human baseness, then this is it. Or if you're less of a cynical grump than I am...😝

Thank you to @netgalley and for a digital copy of this in exchange for a perhaps too honest review 😅

A moving story and to know this is real, is even more gut wrenching. I now understand why my grandfathers generation hated the Japanese.
"Sisters Under the Rising Sun" is based mainly on the day to day life of Australian nurses and those who closest with them, interred by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in WW2. Their survival through 4 years of absolute hell in multiple squalid camps, is testament to the mental fortitude and truly caring nature of Nesta and her fellow nurses. We know nurses are paid to be caring and to care for sick people in their working lives, but when thrown into a 24/7 environment of hunger, anguish and tropical disease, the true caring nature of this hard-working bunch becomes apparent. Tapping into extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness, humour and hope in their determination to retain their humanity by caring for others, when the most inhumane things are happening around them.
Real life people really are the most extraordinary.......you could never image such a story with themes of strong women, courage against the odds and the power of friendship and community.
Heather Morris has spoken with relatives of the women involved and retelling is accurate and heartfelt.
Thanks to Netgalley, Heather Morris and Echo Publishing for my copy.
PS. The Pav was invented in NZ!

Sisters under the rising sun
‘Sisters Under the Rising Sun’ by Heather Morris is a must read book. It is a story of survival, friendship, courage and strength of character of the women and children who endured so much at the hands of the Japanese following the fall of Singapore.
The book tells the story of the attack on the ship, The Vyner Brooke, that was departing Singapore following the Japanese invasion in WWII. The ship held nurses and civilians that were escaping Singapore. The survivors of the ship were then held in various camps in Indonesia by the Japanese for over 3 years. The survival of these women and children is a remarkable story. The nurses continued to provide aid and comfort through difficult circumstances and the women banded together as a sisterhood.
The story is built around real life characters and the authors notes at the end of the book provide further detail about these women.
An important part of history that should never be forgotten.

“Know now of them. Remember them."

The Vyner Brooke merchant ship was filled with civilians and Australian nurses (from the Australian Army Nursing Service) as they evacuated Singapore in 1942, desperate to escape the Japanese. But when the ship was bombed and she sank, survivors littered the waters. Some would manage to reach shore, others wouldn't - but those who did were captured by the Japanese army and taken to POW camps. The men and women were separated, and Sisters Under the Rising Sun tells the story of those women.

Sister Nesta James assumed control of the nurses under her care, after their Matron didn't survive, and the once large group of nurses dwindled after tragedy struck. Also in the camp were sisters, Norah and Ena, with Norah's husband in the men's camp and Ena's back in Singapore, caring for the sisters' elderly parents. Together, during starvation, brutality, determination and deprivation, Norah and Nesta kept morale up with care, companionship and music. Their hardship of continually moving camp, having to prepare each site usable, and keeping the Japanese captain happy, took its toll, while disease with little medications, ran rampant. As 1942 became 1943, then 1944 and 1945, they wondered if they would ever see loved ones again...

In my opinion, Sisters Under the Rising Sun is Aussie author Heather Morris's best novel yet. A phenomenal story of women at war, of courage and determination, of friendships and keeping hope alive, I felt in awe of the women in the story. I have read different books on some of the events which are told in this book, and this is definitely up there with the best. Based on fact, and using many real-life characters, the information at the end of the book is incredible. The research that has gone into the telling of Sisters Under the Rising Sun is mind boggling. Thank you so very much Heather Morris for telling us this heartbreaking story. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, I appreciated the setting on a lesser known part of WW2, and not being set in Europe. The story of the Australian Nurses as POWs in the jungles of Indonesia and in particular the sinking of the Vyner Brooke and Banka Island massacre were not known to me beforehand. I enjoyed the strong characters, based on real life people, and their tale of survival against all odds as they were exposed to such depravity and suffering, at the hands of the Japanese. Such unspeakable horrors we could not possibly imagine today. The characters resilience and the particular ‘sisterhood’ that they developed with each other shines through and is to be admired. Heather Morris has done justice to an important part of history that needs to continue to be told in telling the stories of these Aussie nurses. I did have some issues with the structure of the writing, only in that there was a lot of dialogue between the characters and short paragraphs, switching between the characters which at times made it hard to realise which character was ‘talking’. Other than that, I rate the premise of the book highly, and particularly enjoyed the Authors Note, that told us more about the characters backgrounds and what happened to the characters after their experience and the war years.

Norah and John Chambers have to make a difficult choice, they send their eight year old daughter Sally with Norah’s older sister and her two sons who are leaving Singapore. The Japanese army are quickly invading the Pacific, Norah and John, her sister Ena Murray and brother-in-law Ken remain behind with the sisters elderly parents.

Nesta James is a pint-sized nurse and a member of the Australian Army Nursing Service, along with English and Dutch civilians they flee on one of the last boats to leave Singapore aboard the SS Vyner Brooke. The chances of the merchant vessel making it’s way to Australia without being seen by the Japanese would take a miracle, a couple of days later they are spotted off the coast of Indonesia and the bombed SS Vyner Brooke sinks to the bottom of the ocean.

Stranded in the sea, Norah, John, Ena and Nesta and the other survivors make it to Banka Island, the lucky ones are captured by the Japanese, beginning their time as prisoners of war and their captors don’t care about the Geneva Convention. The camps are squalid and over crowded, the women and children are separated from the men, with no sanitation and clean drinking water, barely given enough food to keep them alive, sickness spreads quickly and are constantly relocated. The women come up with ideas to keep going, everyone has to pitch in and help and they from a choir and voice orchestra and preform concerts to boost morale.

I received a copy of Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris from Echo Publishing and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. A story about women and children being caught up in a war, what they had to endure over three and a half years was horrific, including physical and mental abuse, depravity and war crimes. The narrative is based on inspirational and real people, including nurses Nesta James, Vivian Bullwinkle and Betty Jeffery, civilians Norah Chambers, Ena Murray, Margaret Dryburgh, Audrey Owen, Mrs. Hinch and Dutch nun sister Catherina.

The ladies maintained the belief they would survive, showed courage and bravery, stuck together and overcame difficulties, they never gave up and found a solution, formed friendships and some kept a secret and shared the joy of music and singing. Five stars from me, Heather Morris and the survivors families wanted the world to know it wasn't only men who were Japanese prisoners of war in Sumatra, women suffered the same hardships and lived with the trauma for the rest of their lives.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun was a great telling of a part of WW2 that I didn't know much about. I really enjoy multiple POVs so I enjoyed the fact we got to see both Nesta's story and Norah's, and how they interacted. That said the swapping so frequently was a little jarring and would happen within chapters frequently. This was a moving and emotional story as the women and young children deal with harsh conditions, malnutrition, sickness and death. But shows how they all got through with friendships, looking out for each other and hope. Well worth the read.

'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'.

When Japan entered WW2, after attacking Pearl Harbour, many Pacific Island nations quickly fell under their onslaught. Refugees from the attack in Malaya in early 1942, fled to Singapore only to realise they were no safer, 'Singapore is on fire; ahead the sea is littered with burning wrecks of ships, boats, big and small'. Once again, the need to evacuate was imperative, not only for citizens and expats, but also for medical personnel. Under heavy gunfire, the Vyner Brooke departed; knowing that bombing is inevitable but certain staying meant death. On board: Nora, her husband John, and her sister Ena are desperate to catch up with Nora's daughter Sally who departed on a previous sailing, as well as a cohort of Australian nurses including Nesta. Their sense of relief, as they cast off is but a whisper when just two days later their ship is sunk after a Japanese bombing raid. Every survivor became a prisoner of war. Every day became a war to survive.

Heather Morris deploys the reader directly into Singapore's warzone amongst the chaos and fright of civilians trying to escape, after which, there is a mundanity to the depiction of their prison life, but I feel like that too reflects part of the trial of survival. As an Antipodean, I thoroughly enjoyed Morris's inclusion of the ongoing pavlova 'war'. Indeed, the pavlova was, 'Invented in New Zealand, named in New Zealand, it is a kiwi dish', for the record!

'Sisters Under the Rising Sun' is a moving tale that highlights the often less depicted war in the Pacific. I welcomed the opportunity to learn more about the harrowing time many civilians endured for such a long part of WW2. I believe any fan of historical fiction set in WW2, who enjoys reading about strong women and 'sisterhood' will really appreciate this book.

Sisters Under The Rising Sun is the fourth novel by New Zealand-born Australian author, Heather Morris. In early 1942, as the Japanese attack Singapore, English musician Norah Chambers, her husband John and her younger sister, Ena board the HMS Vyner Brooke hoping to escape to safety. Norah’s daughter Sally has been sent on earlier with their older sister.

Much as they would like to stay behind to provide help that will surely be needed, Sister Nesta James and her group of Australian Army Nurses is ordered to evacuate from Singapore on the Vyner Brooke. Neither group has any idea that their ship will be sunk, they will soon be washed up on the Sumatran coast and spend three years and seven months as prisoners of the Japanese.

During that time, along with hundreds of other internees including Dutch nuns and Dutch and English civilians, they are separated from their men folk and endure starvation rations, and a severe lack of fresh water and medical supplies. They are subject to violence, physical and mental torture; some are used for the Japanese Officers’ sexual gratification; they are made to move camp several times at short notice; Red Cross parcels and mail are withheld from them; one witnesses a massacre.

Amidst all this hardship, these women form a sisterhood, mostly cooperating and sharing what they have; they boost their morale with a camp newspaper, with singing, and concerts with their voice orchestra. They show kindness and care, and form firm friendships.

Morris states that she tells this story, overlooked by history, so that the women will be known in order to be remembered. It’s an ambitious project, with a large cast of characters, some of whom only get a single mention, but she does share their fates, where known, in the author’s notes.

The narrative is from the perspectives of Norah and Nesta, but it feels remote rather than personal, like scenes being watch from a train window in passing. Given that the original stories must have been related second- or third-hand perhaps this is understandable, but makes it difficult to feel much connection with the protagonists. A rendition of the amazing women and children who survived the brutal Japanese POW camps during World War II that is more matter-of-fact than emotional.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley, Better Reading Preview and Echo Publishing.

Thank you for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Having read Ms Morris’s other works, I had a feeling that I knew what I was in for. To say this book didn’t disappoint, is an understatement.

This was based on a group of women, British, Dutch, Australian and one North American who were imprisoned by the Japanese during WWII. On the 12th of February 1942, the Vyner Brooke was one of the last ships carrying evacuees to leave Singapore. After the ship was hit by the Air Force and sunk, those aboard were taken to POW camps.

This book is full of history, heart and soul. It’s full of character and the demonstration of the incredible will to survive during the most brutal time in life. The group empowered their sisterhood with music. Using their talents, they used the music to keep their own spirits up and those of others.

Ms Morris has yet again taken a true story and made sure that we "Know now of them. Remember them."