Another knock out of the park historical fiction by Heather Morris. Unlike the previous works I have read by her this is not about the Nazi concentration camps but the Japanese interment camps. Following sisters, nurses and nuns throughout their interment in Japanese camps. Trying to flee Singapore and being captured after their ship was sunk these ladies survived the Ocean and in the end the Japanese. Throughout their interment music played an integral part in their mental health in their Ryder to give them the strength to survive. Highly recommend the audio book as music is a very important part to their story

This is a historical fiction novel based on real people and events during World War II. Don’t let that dissuade you though, it is not focused on the tragic mistreatment of Jews in Europe like the many other novels set during this time period. This story depicts the struggles and triumphs of a large group of women that were captives in a Japanese prisoner of war camp on a remote island off Indonesia.

Norah, an English musician, and her sister have unofficially adopted a young girl who was separated from her parents, while Norah’s own daughter was sent off with family ahead of their capture to be kept safe. After their merchant ship capsizes, they are held along with a troop of nurses and other women and children in a community of huts in the jungle.

I really enjoyed the narrators voice and various accents she was able to differentiate between the women. There are a lot of characters, and at times I had trouble keeping all the names straight and keeping track of them, but that may have been easier with the text copy than the audiobook. It was agonizing to learn of all the hunger and sickness these captives endured, but overall, it was inspiring to learn of the ways that they sacrificed for one another, encouraged one another and were resilient in the face of on-going adversity.

Heather Morris has written another moving historical fiction story based on the lives of real women who survived WWII. 'Sisters Under the Rising Sun' highlights the often less depicted war in the Pacific. Throughout this story, we learn about the bravery of the women that were held in Japanese POW camps and the courage it took to survive the harsh conditions, starvation, and abuse experienced there. Music plays an important role throughout this story as a means to helping the women to survive. I highly recommend listening to this book as several of the songs are included in the audiobook version.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by Heather Morris and wonderfully narrated by Laura Carmichael.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun completely gutted me and left me in awe of the incredible resilience of the human spirit. A phenomenal story of women in war, this novel largely centers around the experiences of two women imprisoned in Japanese POW camps during World War 2. Norah, a wife, mother, sister, and gifted musician, fights for survival alongside Nesta, an Australian nurse. Through the eir years of internment, Norah, Nesta, and countless other women endure brutal conditions with courage, selflessness, and friendship.

I received both the ebook and audiobook versions of Sisters Under the Rising Sun, and I am so glad that I did. The audiobook’s presentation of the music created in the camps made it especially inspiring to listen to. The Captive’s Hymn is simply beautiful, and I truly enjoyed learning about the characters that contributed to this element of life in the camps.

I love when historical fiction draws so directly from real individuals and experiences, and this novel does just that. I have already started going down a rabbit hole to learn more about Norah and Nesta’s stories and those of their friends. While I have read countless WW2 novels set in Europe, this is the first I have read that is set in the islands of the Pacific. I cannot find the words to express my genuine gratitude to the author and narrator for sharing this unforgettable piece of history.

Nesta and Norah terrifying escape from Singapore is almost over…or so they think. They are on a cargo ship leaving this horrible situation when their ship is bombed from the air. They spend 24 hours in the ocean when they finally reach a remote island. They are then captured by the Japanese and held in their notorious POW camps.

It is so hard to believe this happened and it is amazing, as brutal as it was, that any of the women survived. These women were put through hell on earth but by sheer luck, determination, intelligence and compassion, they withstood all this brutality.

This is not my favorite Heather Morris book. That would be Cilka’s Journey . But, I did learn a lot in this book. It is very well researched. It is just slow in places.

The narrator, Laura Carmichael, did an incredible job. As most of you know, a big trigger for me is when a narrator has to sing. Most narrators are not singers. Laura did an pretty bang up job on that part. Still not my favorite when a narrator has to burst out in song. But this one handled it like a champ.

Need a novel of resilience…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

The Sisters Under the Rising Sun, is a beautiful tribute to the women who suffered in Japanese prison camps on the Indonesian islands during WW2.

I have read three of Heather Morris’ books and loved them all. She has a way of introducing her characters to you so that you can see them in your mind. As if you are right there, watching the story unfold.

Laura Carmichael does a fabulous job of bringing raw emotion to the voices in this story. I was moved to tears many times during this book. It was uplifting to hear how the sisters selflessly bore one another’s burdens even during the most bleak circumstances. I will not give away any spoilers but I will say that a group of women find a way to bring a bit of joy to the camp and it is a truly marvelous surprise!!

It was an honor to listen to this incredible book! I am so grateful to Heather Morris for spending the time to interview the descendants of the prisoners, do hours of research and finally write this book! I’m glad that the story of these sisters’ lives has been told. This is an absolute must read!!!

The end of the audiobook includes a moving note from the author and an afterwards.

Many thanks to Heather Morris and Macmillian Audio from St. Martins press for the ARC via NetGalley!!

I have read all of Heather Morris’ historical fiction novels and while I enjoyed this one, this was not my favorite. There’s something about this one, whether it’s the number of characters or the overly cheery disposition of prisoners of war that just didn’t work for me. I was often confused about who each of the people were and their relations to each other. I also thought it was almost cheesy the way they always had a happy thought and positive attitude, not once despairing, almost as if it was a commercial created by the Japanese to show they were being treated well; it was all so contrived and didn’t ring true. I was excited to see that a different part of WWII was going to be covered but this was not at all what I was expecting and I was a little disappointed that the same grittiness that’s in her previous novels is absent in this one.

Synopsis: This heart wrenching tale of survival and the resilience of women follows Norah, an English musician, Nesta, an Australian nurse, as they are trapped in a Japanese POW camp during WWII. After their merchant ship feeling occupied Singapore is bombarded off the coast of Indonesia, the women are carted off to a remote camp where they are faced with horrific conditions. They must rely on each other to survive to the end of the war.
Thoughts: If you enjoy WWII historical fiction, you will like this one! Heather Morris knows how to write about suffering and resilience in the midst of horrific situations. This book will leave you heartbroken yet hopeful. I really enjoyed the multitude of strong women and their reliance upon one another for survival and hope. The theme of music bringing people together and was central to this story as well. I recommend reading the authors note at the end as well, as she discusses the real life women she based this story on. A note on the audio - listening to this book is the way to go because there is a lot of music included that is really well done!
Read this if you like:
J• historical fiction
I WWii fiction
a the power of music .. strong female characters

Paths cross when two women see the hardships of war, firsthand. As musician Norma sends her young daughter to safety during the height of WWII, she meets nurse Sister Nesta as they take refuge from Singapore. Just days later, their ship to safety is bombed off the coast of Indonesia and despite all odds at sea, they eventually make it to land. However, as with many others, the women end up in a Japanese POW camp for years under grueling conditions. Friends die, starvation is rampant and abuse for standing up for your home are all among the trying situations they go through that goes to show, together, a sisterhood stronger than blood can be formed, and with it, the strength to keep each other going through the end of the war.
This was a story full of heartbreak and anguish, but so beautifully told. Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review. This comes out 10/24!

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 if you are able or so inclined. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy and St. Martin's Press for sending me a beautiful finished copy in exchange for my honest review! This book is perfect for fans of other WWII stories like Angels of the Pacific by Elise Hooper.

Heather Morris has done it again! This was such a good read. I couldn't put it down! Nora and Nesta's stories are incredible and so worthy of being told. Heather Morris always handles difficult situations with such care, and this story is no different. I'm inspired, heartbroken and in awe of the women depicted in this story, as I knew I would be! I especially loved the historical section at the end that gave the real life history of many of the characters in the book. This story is full of courage, resilience and the power of friendships to get people through the darkest of times. I'm so grateful this story was told.

The audiobook was enchanting and so easy to get caught up in. The musical elements were wonderful and the narration was great!

If you loved Heather Morris's other work, you'll love this one too!

Thanks to Netgalley and Heather Morris for the advanced copy to review.

SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN by Heather Morris is an emotionally charged and gripping tale set against the backdrop of World War II, offering a perspective on women's courage and resilience during wartime. Reminiscent of Hazel Gaynor's "When We Were Young & Brave," this novel is a haunting yet hopeful exploration of the human spirit. The story takes inspiration from true events, focusing on Norah Chambers and Sister Nesta James, who find themselves in the midst of chaos and uncertainty as Singapore falls to the Japanese. Their journey, from surviving a shipwreck to enduring the brutality of a POW camp, is a testament to the strength of sisterhood, bravery, and friendship. Both Norah and Nesta are compelling narrators, showcasing the enduring power of kindness and hope in the face of unimaginable hardship. Heather Morris masterfully weaves a narrative that captures the atrocities of war while emphasizing the small acts of compassion that can make a world of difference. SISTERS UNDER THE RISING SUN is a poignant and heartrending wartime story that sheds light on the indomitable spirit of women during one of history's darkest periods.

The author's notes and afterword, along with the exquisite rendition of Maurice Ravel's Bolero, serve as a splendid complement to this profoundly emotional novel.

Not sure what everyone else was listening to. The narrator was fabulous to listen to, the story started out very well and then just became slow and redundant. Camp one singing, camp two hungry singing, camp three more singing less food, etc. I gave up 70% in flip to the end. And was done with it.
Love the Tattooist of Auschwitz brilliant, rising sun no so brilliant. Giving it 2 stars for Heather Morris, 1 star for story.

A Powerful, Poignant, Remarkable, Gripping Novel by Heather Morris!

This story begins and ends with WWII.

We begin with a small family saying goodbye to their young daughter, as she is being shipped off to (hopefully) safer grounds… and the parents are left wondering if they will EVER see her again…

Her Mom, Norah, remains in Singapore to care for her husband John (who is sick) and her elderly parents.

But, as luck would have it, they are shipped out within days… (and with no choices given) …to board a ship…with no idea where they are headed.

To make things even worse, the ship is attacked, multiple times, causing it to capsize…and all of its occupants have to escape…or die on the ship.

Unfortunately, the ones who escape are doing their best not to die (in the water) …and to actually get to LAND…but when they do, they are captured as POW’s…and the men and women are separated.

This is where the story really opens up and you are introduced to all of the characters. Some of which are the Australian Nurses who have been sent to HELP everyone. As well as Norah (who is an English Musician) and her sister, Ina, who work so very hard to help every person they encounter!

There’s an array of women who will have your heart melting/tearing apart through all of the circumstances they must endure…

As an aside, if you have the option to LISTEN to this one, I would definitely do that, as there are several interludes where Norah has created “music” with just hers and some of the other women’s voices!

This one will absolutely bring you to tears, if you are like me, on multiple occasions…
And yet it will light you up, and fill you up…with the hope, love and perseverance that is highlighted throughout!

And the fact that this features nurses (which I am an RN) only added to the whole subject at hand… and difficulties that were faced.

Also, of note: This is based on a TRUE story. Be sure to listen/read the authors note at the end, as it is filled with information…as well as interviews from families of some of the people featured in the book.

This is one you will NOT want to miss!!

5 + ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ for me!

Thanks to #NetGalley and #MacmillanAudio for an ARC of this phenomenal book which releases on 10.24.23.

#HeatherMorris.
#SistersOfTheRisingSun.
Narrated beautifully by #LauraCarmichael.

If you’d like to keep up with my future reads, find me on Instagram at #BookReviews_with_emsr

Thanks for reading! 📚📖

I had never read a book based in the Japanese POW camps during WWII so I was excited to read this one. Unfortunately, it missed the mark. I wish I didn’t have to say this, but I was bored reading this story. It felt like not much happened, there was very little action in the words. The chapters were very long, and heavy with dialogue. The cast of characters was vast and the POV changed often in the story. I also never had an emotional connection with any of the characters. For was WWII book, this one felt emotionless. I have faith that Morris’s next book will be great just like her previous ones.

I think that my expectations of this were too high. I absolutely LOVED Morris's other books and this one just didn't engage me the same way. I found it very slow and that chapters went by with little happening. The characters were incredibly well developed, but a little boring. There was not nearly as much "drama" as I wanted - i half read and half listened to this and I wasn't in love with either option. The strength of the women in this book was inspiring, how they turned a horrific situation into something liveable was unreal. The historical portion was well researched and easy to follow - as with all of Heather Morris's books. But I just did not find this one to be un-put-down-able like her previous books.
Thank you netgalley for my advanced reader and audio copies.

A touching and amazing novel based on the true story of English and Australian women captured as Prisoners of War during World War II. These women suffered a shipwreck, illnesses, starvation, and torture from the Japanese army.

You follow Norah, an English musician, and Sister Nesta, an Australian nurse, as they put others before themselves to care for women and children who have been captured and placed in POW camps. You feel these heroines’ pain and triumphs as they survive a multitude of atrocities from the Japanese army. The book highlights these amazing women’s resilience and hope as they band together through music for strength to overcome terror beyond what a normal person could withstand.

I have read Heather Morris’s previous novel The Tattooist of Auschwitz, so I knew that this novel would touch my heart and bring understanding to how World War II affected so many people across the world. I loved learning about what was going on in a completely different place during the war.

Thank you NetGalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced reader copy. #NetGalley @MacmillanAudio

Heather Morris knows how to tear at your heartstrings. This was a beautiful depiction of the atrocities of WWII that maybe you haven't heard before. To top it off, Heather Morris also has a dedication to the real life women that this story is based on and an author's note and afterwards that explain more about the women's plight.

You are introduced to a group of incredible women that were evacuating Singapore on the Vyner Brooke towards the beginning of the 1940s. The Vyner Brooke is bombed and sunk by the Japanese and among the passengers are civilian men, women and children, along with nurses from the Australian Army. Those that survive the shipwreck find refuge on a remote island, but they are far from safe as the Japanese have occupied the island and the women are captured and held in their POW camps. Norah and Ina Chambers, Sister Nesta James, Betty Jeffry, Vivian Vullwinkel and and many more women are held, starved, brutalized and beat down for more than three (3) years. This is a story of courage, resourcefulness, determination and bravery even in the darkest of times. Heather Morris tells a story of incredible sacrifice and resilience that gives you chills. It's more thought-provoking and emotional when you remember that some of these women really survived the Japanese POW camps, and some didn't ever leave the island.

I enjoyed the audio version of Sisters Under the Rising Sun - the title was not lost on me, either - and I really enjoyed the musical aspect that was able to be included in this version. Norah Chambers and a Missionary that also happened to be on the island were able to connect over their love of music and they used this music to create a sisterhood that was resilient and able to come together even in the harshest of circumstances. Heather Morris is absolutely becoming one of my auto-authors and I can't wait to see what she does next.

Thank you NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, St. Martin’s Press and Heather Morris for the advanced audio version of Sisters Under the Rising Sun.

Publication date for Sisters Under the Rising Sun by Heather Morris is 24 October 2023. Grab a box of tissues and pick up your copy right away.

Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio for gifting me both a digital and audio ARC of the latest historical fiction novel by Heather Morris and wonderfully narrated by Laura Carmichael - 4.5 stars rounded up!

In the midst of WWII, English musician, Norah Chambers, places her young daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe from the Japanese army Norah remains to care for her husband and elderly parents, knowing she may never see her child again. Sister Nesta James, an Australian nurse, has enlisted to help Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese, she joins a group of people, including Norah, on a merchant ship. Only days later, they are bombarded and the ship is sunk. After surviving a day in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach a remote island, and are immediately captured by the Japanese and held in a POW camp. They are starved and abused, but Norah and Nesta fight to help whoever they can.

This is another one of those heartbreaking stories that open your eyes to war atrocities, but also highlights the resiliency of people; in this case, incredibly strong women putting others first at all costs. This is a book that is made much better by listening to the audiobook - the voice orchestra is not to be missed. I love how these women found such a unique way to brighten all of their days and stand up for themselves. This is powerful, especially when you read the afterword and gain further information about the real women in this story. Highly recommended!

Another wonderful historical fiction from Heather Morris!
A heartbreaking story of loss and hope, and how a group of women managed to come together, stay strong and remain hopeful whilst in a Japanese prisoner camp!
I’ve only read a couple other books about this particular aspect of the war time period, so it was definitely interesting to learn more history about it!