When We Had Wings by S. Meissner, K. McMorris, A. Lawhon

When We Had Wings by Susan Meissner, Kristina McMorris, Ariel Lawhon – 432 pages

ARC from Harper Muse and Netgalley for an honest review

Book Blurb:

When We Had Wings: The Philippines, 1941. When U.S. Navy nurse Eleanor Lindstrom, U.S. Army nurse Penny Franklin, and Filipina nurse Lita Capel forge a friendship at the Army Navy Club in Manila, they believe they’re living a paradise assignment. All three are seeking a way to escape their pasts, but soon the beauty and promise of their surroundings give way to the heavy mantle of war.

Caught in the crosshairs of a fight between the U.S. military and the Imperial Japanese Army for control of the Philippine Islands, the nurses are forced to serve under combat conditions and, ultimately, endure captivity as the first female prisoners of the Second World War. As their resiliency is tested in the face of squalid living arrangements, food shortages, and the enemy’s blatant disregard for the articles of the Geneva Convention, the women strive to keep their hope— and their fellow inmates—alive, though not without great cost.

My Review: 4.5 stars

When We Had Wings by Kristina McMorris, Susan Meissner and Ariel Lawhon, was first announced, I knew I had to read it the moment it came out. This trio are among my favorite historical fiction novelists. And I can assure you, they did not disappoint.

I learned so much from this book. I had no idea about these nurses and their bravery as they were kept hostage during the war. I knew little about Japan’s role in trying to earn control of the Philippines. Did I miss this during history class? Or did these authors uncover a little-known fact about the war and bring it to the page. I suppose the latter. This is why I love historical fiction! 

The story was told in three distinctive POVs, each written by a different author. Each voice was unique and gave credibility to the characters. These women and men survived through crazy difficult conditions yet chose to make the best of it every single day. Themes of friendship, resilience and a touch of romance were threaded through the book.

This will make an awesome book club discussion pick. 

Quotes I liked:

It had been a wonderful life. Not a life full of wonderful event. No, not by a long shot. But a wonderful life in its own way. She’d seen in this war the very worst one human could do to another. But she’d also seen the very best. Perhaps only the people who see the very worst get to see the very best.
Or maybe it was just that because she’d seen the worst, she’d been able to recognize the best. That was its own kind of wonderful.”