Though I hadn’t read anything by Heather Morris before, I was well aware of the immense popularity of "The Tattooist of Auschwitz" and its followups at my library, so I was eager to dive into Sisters Under the Rising Sun. Unfortunately, I struggled to connect with the story, which may have been partly due to the narration. The narrator’s monotone delivery made it hard for me to distinguish between the characters, leaving me unable to fully engage with the narrative.

While the book certainly has its strengths, I felt that the characters lacked the depth I had hoped for. They didn’t resonate with me as much as I expected, and I found myself wanting to see more of their fears and vulnerabilities, which would have made them feel more authentic given their circumstances.

The dialogue also felt somewhat unrealistic and overly optimistic, which further distanced me from the characters. This may have contributed to my difficulty with the narration. Perhaps I would have a better experience with the print version, but for now, the novel fell a bit short for me.

First of all when I started listening to this book I did not realize who was narrating the story! When I finally put the clues together - Downtown Abbey I was thrilled!
This was a unique historical fiction set in WW2 I enjoyed the concept and the storyline.
Recommended for fans of women's WW2 fiction

In the middle of WW2, many Australians and British are living in Singapore. When Japan enters the war, they are frantic to leave. English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, with her sister while she stays behind to care for her husband, John and elderly parents. Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops, but as Singapore falls, she joins many terrified evacuees aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Two days later, they are bombed and eventually make it to a Banka Island a remote island, where the Japanese are waiting for them. They are taken to a POW camp where many other women are being held including a contingent of Australian nurses and a group of nuns. The camps are terrible places with starvation, brutality and disease where the Geneva Convention rules of war mean nothing. Nesta and Nora work together with others to help whoever they can and comfort those in need.

I have read other books about the Japanese POW camps throughout Indonesia, and am always in awe of the resilience, strength and bravery of the women held there. With the women and children separated from the men, they are left to fend for themselves. It would be easy to give up, but Nora uses her musical talents to form a choir that helps with their morale. Even the Japanese enjoy their performances, but when they are told they must learn Japanese songs, they stop singing. Being tortured, won't even get Nora to give in. There are various POVs in the story and they are based on real women, 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. Themes of resilience, strength, friendship, faith, family and more are apparent in this book. The afterward has interviews with descendents of some of the women and they stressed that this story was one they wanted to tell. They wanted the world to know that it wasn't just men who were POWs, but also women and children who had to survive the atrocities of the Japanese army. Laura Carmichael does an excellent job with the narration, giving different voices to the many main characters in this story.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun, written by Heather Morris, follows a group of women that include nurses and musicians, who are kept in a Japanese POW Camp during World War II. This book follows the women as they get to know one another and work together to help each other survive a situation that no one should be in, and even learn from each other to make the best out of their situation.

Although I was not able to download this audiobook before the archive date, I had the opportunity to listen to the audiobook through my library. I really enjoyed this book, and the stories of the women included in it. I appreciated the friendships that they formed with each other, and the ways that they worked together. I would not have known about this book without NetGalley, so I would still like to thank NetGalley, and the author and publisher for their hard work and all that they do!

I love the Historical Fiction genre, and this is a story set during WWII with themes of friendship, sisterhood, perseverance, and courage that really drew me in. I loved the storytelling and writing of Heather Morris, and was so touched by the true stories that inspired this book.

It was such a powerful and moving read and I was so captivated by it and really flew through it.

🎧I paired the book with the audiobook format and loved the narration by Laura Carmichael. She performed such a great voice to the characters and I would definitely recommend both formats.

*many thanks to St Martins Press and Netgalley for the gifted copy for review.

"Sisters under the Rising Sun" is a gripping tale of resilience and courage set against the backdrop of World War II. Heather Morris weaves a powerful narrative of survival, sisterhood, and friendship, drawing readers into the harrowing experiences of Norah Chambers and Sister Nesta James. The addition of music adds a unique dimension to the storytelling, enhancing the emotional depth of the novel. Based on real people and events, this book offers a poignant tribute to the strength of the human spirit in the face of adversity. Overall, a captivating read that leaves a lasting impact.

The passengers of the Vyner Brooke are pitched from the frying pan to the fire when the ship upon which they have been fleeing the Japanese invasion of Singapore is sunk off the shores of Indonesia. The women and children, musician Norah Chambers and nurse Nesta James among them, must survive in jungle camps until the end of the war.

I am continuing my informal journey through the Pacific theatre of World War 2 with Sisters Under the Rising Sun, which chronicles the lives of a group of British, Australian, and Dutch women living as internees during World War Two. The author is Heather Morris, who I did not realize until later is the writer of those bestselling (and somewhat infamous) chronicles of life at Auschwitz.

It wasn't until I started reading the book that I realized how heavily the author was drawing on history - all the women were real people, and pretty much all the incidents that happened to them were true. Considering I'd never heard of Norah, Nesta, Margaret, or the others, it was amazing to learn about this little corner of WW2 history. I also appreciated the author's notes in which we learned more about the broader situation the women were in, and what happened to them afterward.

However, I did feel like the writing was a little emotionally shallow, which made it hard to really get invested. The narration takes a third-person omniscient perspective, which might be why I felt unable to get inside the heads of the characters or really feel their suffering and their triumphs. I also wished we got more of the perspective of the Dutch and Chinese women who were being interned at the camp too, to get a broader feel for the camps.

I read the audiobook version of this book, which is narrated by Laura Carmichael. She did an excellent job, making it easy to distinguish between the voices of the simply enormous cast of women, and adding emotion and levity to her narration where the book calls for it. I was also very pleasantly surprised by the inclusion of performances by the Sydney Women's Vocal Orchestra throughout the book. With music being such an important component of the story, to be able to hear what the women might have all those years ago at the camp concerts really immersed me in the book.

Heather Morris has penned a beautiful and inspiring tribute to women at war with her latest novel, Sisters Under the Rising Sun.

In her typical fashion, Morris pens a powerful story about the Australian Army Nurses and scores of civilian women and children who were interred by the Japanese during WWII. Despite the horrific conditions they faced and brutality they endured, these women pulled each other through with their resourcefulness, strength and courage. I loved how they found comfort through the music they created and the meaningful friendships they forged under the most appalling circumstances.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun is powerful and moving story that is so beautifully written. This is a story that will stay with me for a long time.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the opportunity to listen to an advance recording of this publication. This review is given freely and the opinions expressed are my own.

3.5 stars

A beautifully written account of two women, Sister Nesta James, an Australian nurse, and Norah Chambers, an English musician, and their time at a JapanesePOW camp. They were taken prisoner by the Japanese after the merchant ship they were on while fleeing occupied Singapore sank. After drifting at sea for 24 hours, the survivors ended up on a tropical island and were shortly thereafter captured by the Japanese army and imprisoned in a POW camp along with 500 other women in the jungle for three and a half years.

I listened to the audiobook, which was exquisitely performed by Laura Carmichael. Of special note is the singing and orchestra performances (by Norah) during and at the end of the story. For this alone, I would recommend listening to the audio.

As with this author's past books, the tragic and inhumane treatment of others during WW2 was captured. Although there was much suffering illustrated, there was also much bravery, compassion, and love as these women came together to make the most of their captivity and care for each other. What stood out for me was the depth of friendships created and the kindness these women displayed towards one another.

Many of the prisoners were nurses from the Australian army. They sacrificed their own lives to take care of the sick and injured women prisoners and stand up to the Japanese army officers as necessary. There was much heroism and selflessness demonstrated among them despite many suffering greatly themselves.

The descriptions of what the women endured were muted, which made it an easier read than it otherwise might have been if written more graphically. And although I enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to others interested in a WW2 historical fiction, it wasn't my favorite by this author only because the muted descriptions lessened the overall emotional experience for me.

A gracious thank you to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for an audiobook in exchange for an honest review.
#MacmillanAudio
#SistersUnderTheRisingSun
#Netgalley

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

Such an interesting read, well written and emotional. Somewhat hard to follow at the characters at the beginning but worth it. The narrator did a good job. I would read more by this author.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris is a beautifully moving historical fiction based on the lives of real women who survived WWII.

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. The audiobook was uniquely excellent, as the music plays a key part in the story, with the women using songs to bolster their spirits, and several are included in 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 is based on the true story of WWII nurses who were taken captive by the Japanese.

The story reveals the hardships and exceptional bravery of the women that history forgot, The story of these women is unforgettable and deserves to be told.

The story examines the power of friendship and music to sustain people in hard times.

I especially enjoyed the author’s note. She told a little more about the real women in the novel and filled in their stories after the war.

I listened to the audiobook. I enjoyed the narration by Laura Carmichael. I loved the inclusion of clips of the songs the women wrote during their time in the camps.

This historical fiction was just meh for me. I felt like it was too convoluted. The story just kind of got lost in the details. Just not one for me.

Another amazing book by Heather Morris!

Beautiful writing, well-researched characters, and wonderfully detailed. I highly recommend.

Thanks to Netgalley for the advanced copy. All opinions are mine.

I found this book a little hard to follow and get into with so many characters but since the story being based on true events I decided to stick with it and enjoyed it.

I love Heather Morris (and her take on historical fiction) and "Sisters Under the Rising Sun" did not disappoint.

This unique perspective on World War II is set in the Pacific as a group of brave women fight for survival. Well-written, bold, heartbreaking, and inspiring (as with most of her books), this novel left me in a heap.

I was glad when I received the audio ARC of this book from @Netgalley. Having read previous Heather Morris books, I was looking forward to this one. It is based on true events and real persons, which makes it all the better for me. It’s a WWII historical novel, but it gives a different perspective from what I have read previously. It’s women’s survival, ingenuity, determination, and bonding sisterhood at its best. The audio plucked heartstrings as the magical, beautiful songs played in my ears. Thank you @HeatherMorris, @MacMillanAudio, and @Netgalley for the history lesson, view into the Japanese POW camps of WWII, and the perspective of the strong women who endured the brutal events. Bravo!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Really liked it, stuck with me & would recommend

Set in the South Pacific during WWII, this book tells the story of English musician, Norah Chambers and Welsh Australian nurse, Sister Nesta James after they are captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps.

I loved this story about endurance, survival, bravery, sisterhood and loss. The sacrifices these women made to hang on through the war was deeply moving. I especially was appreciative of learning about another less explored aspect of the war and some of their coping mechanisms, the most notable being a voice orchestra to boost morale.

This book was pure historical fiction, based on real women. I read it pretty quickly and definitely got quite emotional in parts. I loved the author's note at the end about the real people behind the characters and what became of their lives after liberation.

The narrator, Laura Carmichael, did a great job, her voice was so soothing during some of the harder parts, and I loved the addition of the music to bring the voice orchestra to life.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio, NetGalley, and author Heather Morris for providing me with a digital ARC copy of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. Sisters Under the Rising Sun is out October 24, 2023.

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

"Norah Chambers, captive of the Japanese Army, barely surviving in the jungle of Sumatra, closes her eyes. Norah Chambers, composer, conductor, opens them. Slowly she lowers her arm and the clear, soulful opening notes of the largo from Dvořák’s New World Symphony sweep over the first rows of women, arriving in an explosion at the back. As the piece gathers momentum, rising and falling, up and down the scale, the audience gasps in disbelief. The singers, their eyes fixed on Norah, following her every gesture, do not falter. Held by the beauty and strength of this music, written in a time and place unimaginable to the audience … in this moment, they are free."

SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN was my first exposure to the horrors endured by many during the Japanese occupation of Indonesia during WWII. I was in awe of the resilience of the group of women, and even more so, I loved that the characters were based upon real people. The author's portrayal of the women emphasized the redeeming nature of music and sisterhood in times of adversary. Morris included actual photos of the women in the story, personal messages from those who knew Nesta and Norah, and the audiobook contained beautiful renditions of the songs from the book performed by an Australian choral group.

I do wish that the dual POV would have been separated by chapters. It was hard enough to flip between them while reading the physical copy, but I struggled even more while listening to the audiobook. Additionally, the third-person aspect removed some of the intensity of the connection to the characters’ emotions, but as I progressed through the novel, I realized that the hardship wasn't the main focus, but rather, the resiliency of the women.

From the Author's Note: "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. How can you be remembered if you’ve never been heard of?"

I recommend both listening to the audiobook and reading an eBook/physical copy due to the supplementary content added. I am looking forward to reading THE STORM WE MADE by Vanessa Chan to continue learning about how the Japanese occupation impacted different groups of people. Thank you, St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio, for the complimentary review copies in exchange for an honest review!