From the bestselling author of Wives of War comes a harrowing tale of four brave young nurses whose lives change forever in the wake of the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor.When Grace, April, and Poppy join the US Army Nurse Corps, they see it as little more than an adventure, one made all the better by their first station: Pearl Harbor, Hawaii. Joined at the hip, idealistic Grace, exuberant Poppy, … Grace, exuberant Poppy, and brave but haunted April frolic in the sun, attending parties, flirting with the handsome soldiers, and becoming fast friends with seasoned nurse Eva. Like the Hawaiian sun, their future seems warm and bright—until the infamous morning of December 7.
Within just a few horrifying hours, their sparkling hopes turn to black rubble and ash. Now embroiled in a war they never could have imagined, they must decide what truly matters to them and face grief as they never have before. Death may await them—but so do hope and purpose. In the midst of the carnage, can they find happiness and learn to fight not just for their country’s honor but for themselves?
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After Grace, April and Poppy join the US Army Nurse Corps, they are thrilled to find themselves in beautiful Hawaii. Grace and April are sisters and Poppy is their best friend. They also become friends with Eva, who they met at a party. All four nurses enjoy the beautiful weather and the parties. Most of their nursing is on football injuries and minor accidents and they can’t believe how lucky they are to be in paradise. That all changes on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. All of a sudden they are faced with dead bodies, burned and mangled bodies and a great fear that the bombing will continue. As they face the destruction and loss of life, their nursing skills are greatly tested.
The Girls of Pearl Harbor takes you on a vivid journey through a tumultuous time in American history. The problems in their pasts no longer matter as these friends are thrust into difficult situations taking care of badly wounded men and putting their own lives in jeopardy. Will they be able to let go of their pasts and find out how strong they really are?
Thanks to the author for this wonderfully written and well researched novel about nurses and their importance in WWII.
This book is full of drama, true to life stories of how women helped during WWII. These women risked their own lives to help the cause. A page turner that will draw you in until the end. Love this author’s books.
The Girls of Pearl Harbor was a wonderful novel! I enjoyed the bonds between the women and how they were portrayed. The story captured what the nurses experienced during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These women saw more injuries and death than they expected to see. They lost some of their own special loved ones. Along the way, they became stronger and learned to do what was needed even when it was difficult. This was a wonderful story about women, their friendships, loves, and losses.
Of Love and Honor
What I really liked the most about this novel was how the author conveyed the feelings and thoughts of the characters. They were so real that I could feel when they were excited afraid, happy, horrified, confused and in love. I felt those feelings right along with each character.
The characters were all so realistic and well cast for their places in the story. The girls stuck together and refused to allow any of the others to feel down, or to give up. When times were hard they supported each other and shared in the pain. When one found love the rest were happy for her.
My favorite story in the book was the story of Poppy, Teddy and Grace. I also really liked the love between the two sisters April and Grace, and how they extended that love to include their friend Eve. The characters of Teddy, Harry, Art and Charlie were great as well. Even the Villainous characters of Dr Grey and Peter were well written
From the beautiful beaches of Hawaii to the war torn shores of Africa and finally the front lines the story was interesting, exciting and remarkably well written. I would definitely recommend it.
I am a WWII junkie. I devour every book I can find that tells the story of the heroes of this time. A story written about the women of the war is always a must-read for me. The Girls of Pearl Harbor is a story about the nurses stationed in Hawaii before and then during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. It is the story of what happens to the friendships formed, the relationships made, and the lives of those who are now in an active war.
Grace, April, and Poppy join the US Army Navy Corps with the idea that it will be an adventure and a vacation in Hawaii. Little did they know that they would be part of one of the biggest parts of WWII and become part of history. I was amazed at the friendship between them, the strength that kept them together in good and tough times was wonderful. While reading you knew that these three would do anything for each other.
As the story continues on and after December 7th their friendship is put to tests, their love for each other never waivers, and they face life in a world that is so different than what they expected. I was so into their story that it felt like I was working right next to them in the military hospitals. I was able to picture the horrific things that they were forced to deal with and able to feel the wide range of feelings the ladies went through as they tried to understand what was happening in their world.
Soraya M. Lane wrote a book that I couldn’t put down. I was pulled in from the beginning, became invested in the characters, and enraptured by the storyline. The Girls of Pearl Harbor is a book I will rave about to my friends.
I just finished The Girls of Pearl Harbor by Soraya Lane. It does not disappoint. Lane captures the realities of war through the eyes of sisters Grace and April, early on Poppy, and another nurse Eva, who they meet when they are stationed in Pearl Harbor about one month before December 7. For one month, it is all fun and games. Everything changes the morning of December 7. Heartache and the need to do their duty is eloquently shown by the author. Each of the characters deal with insurmountable horror in a different way. I like that the story alternates point of view between the three main characters. I felt like I was in the room with each of them as the story progresses. Romance, grief, the need to put aside personal problems to help others is evident. The second half of the book takes the girls to North Africa. I think Lane presents a realistic picture of the horrors of war and the reality of saving lives and carrying on.
Thank you NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I have been wowed by so many incredible historical fiction books over the last year, but this one is by far is one of my absolute favorites! This particular story covers the nurses that served during WWII. The first half of the story covers the nurses that were serving at Pearl Harbor the day the Japanese attacked. The second part of the story follows three of these nurses as they are sent to Africa. The worst duty to be sent to. It was ordinary women, who did extraordinary things to do their part during the war.
Soraya Lane has written a story that becomes so real and vivid as you read that you can’t put this book down. The reader feels the emotions and feels the horrors of what these women saw and did during the war. I highly recommend you read all the way through the acknowledgements. Within the acknowledgments, you will come to understand the research and love Soraya Lane poured into every word of this story, and you will also come to admire and love Soraya Lane!
I cannot recommend this book highly enough. No matter what genre you read, you will want to read this book. If I could give it ten stars I would!
Thank you #netgalley, #lakeunionpublishing and #sorayalane for giving me the opportunity to read this wonderful book.
This is the second historical fiction book I’ve read by this author and I really enjoy how she writes such strong and independent women. The three women this story centers around all have their ups and downs, their moments of weakness and their times of strength. Through it all they are determined to make their mark on the world and help others.
I wasn’t sure if Grace was going to win me over because I had issues with her in the beginning. Rest assured, she does redeem herself. But in the first half of this story Grace was very egocentric. Every time I would start to like her and think she wasn’t as spoiled as I was making her out to be, she would do or say something to her sister that would make my blood boil. By the end Grace will not only redeem herself, but will even earn my respect.
Eva has the biggest climb out of despair after the Pearl Harbor attack, and she seems to take the longest. Through everything she has to come to terms with she is still such a nurturer. There are some things that have to do with Eva’s thought process in the beginning that I had issues with. I kept reminding myself that it was a different time and most women had far fewer options than what we have today. If some of the things Eva fears start to rile you I’ll tell you the same thing about her as I said about Grace, by the end you won’t really think of those earlier problems.
Now April I liked from the start. She could be a bit uptight and strict, but when you get to know her you realize that she came by those personality traits honestly. In other words, you can’t hold those things against her. Plus, they tend to serve her and the other women well. April is the strongest of them all and the most forward thinking, but she still feels the need to conform to the ideals of the time. She slowly starts to gain more confidence. There is something that happens with her that most readers will pick up on pretty early on but that she is oblivious to…once all of those issues come to light she will come through even stronger.
There are love stories throughout this book, but it’s truly about the strength of these women and how they support one another through many hard times. Don’t worry if you’re here for the love, there’s plenty of chemistry and sweet moments. There is heartbreak and things that will make your heart soar. I like that these women find love, but that you know they’ll be okay even if they don’t.
**I received an ARC of this book courtesy of Net Galley and the publisher. All opinions expressed in this review are my own and given freely**
It’s late 1941 and four nurses arrive in Hawaii to discover a paradise island where they feel sure they will be safe so far away from the war raging in Europe. Soon though their idyll is shattered, friends have been killed and they are faced with the true horrors of what bullets and bombs do to a human body. They soon discover what true devastation is, both physically and emotionally and each has to find a way to carry on, or give up.
Poppy, Eva, Grace and April, four close friends with their lives ahead of them and no concept on how each of them will come close to catastrophe. Teddy, Charlie, and the other men they meet and love along the way.
This is one of the best, although graphic historical novels I’ve ever read, and I simply could not put it down. It’s definitely one of my best reads of 2019 and I now can’t wait to read the rest of Soraya M Lane’s novels. Addictive, horrifying, heart-breaking, but brilliant. Loved it.
As a nurse I loved the girls in this book. I love reading about strong women and this author does an amazing job bringing them to life.
This book is the story of two sisters and another nurse who start their Army career stationed at Pearl Harbor. Thinking that they have been assigned to a tropical paradise, they are soon thrust into a full scale war when the Japanese attack. Many people are killed, including some close to these nurses. The story then switches to North Africa when the nurses are assigned to duty there.
I thought that the book would be more about War, but instead it was mostly a romance novel with the War as a backdrop. I did find parts of the book interesting and the author did a good job in character development and motivation. I am not sure how true some of the scenes were, but the author did a pretty good job in depicting the horrors that these nurses must have faced.
The narrator did a good job and added a lot to the book. If you enjoy historical romances, you will probably enjoy this book. If you are looking for a war story or WWII history, you will most likely be disappointed
The Girls of Pearl Harbor by Soraya Lane is the first book I have read by this author. After reading this book it definitely will not be my last. The Girls of Pearl Harbor is a very well written book about three nurses living in Hawaii and how their world as they knew it changed after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. This was a very heartwarming story, it was heart breaking, full of laughter and love. The characters were well defined the author made you feel like you were right there with them. If you love Historical Fiction then this should be added to your reading list.
4.5/5 A historical fiction romance that starts off during the bombing of Pearl Harbor and continues on to North Africa, a part of the war I was not very familiar with. This was a captivating and intense read and is one I enjoyed very much. A story of friendship, sisterhood, love, trust, loss and heartbreak. Very well written with likable characters. I have enjoyed Soraya Lane’s historical fiction work immensely and always look forward to her next book. The Girls of Pearl Harbor is one I will be recommending to my friends.
Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy.
Linda’s Book Obsession Reviews “The Girls of Pearl Harbor” by Soraya M. Lane, Lake Union, September 10, 2019
Soraya M. Lane, Author of “The Girls of Pearl Harbor” has written a captivating, intense, heartbreaking, intriguing emotional and thought-provoking novel. The Genre for this Novel is Historical Fiction and takes place during the bombing of Pearl Harbor, and the United States involvement into World War Two. I appreciate that the author vividly writes and describes the tragedies and the camaraderie, and courage of the nurses, and servicemen and women. The author describes her characters as complex, complicated, flawed, perhaps due to the dire circumstances. There are also supportive, brave and courageous.
When Poppy, Grace, and April first join the Nurse’s Corp and are at Pearl Harbor, it seems like Paradise. They meet another nurse, Eva. Everything seems wonderful until the fateful day of Dec. 7, when they are attacked at Pearl Harbor. The devastation and the horrors only get worse, as the nurses and doctors tend to hurt bodies. There is so much destruction and death. There is also so much uncertainty and lack of man-power.
The medical staff and soldiers are transferred to even more difficult places and situations. I appreciate that the author discusses the horrors of war, but also stresses the importance of emotional support, protecting your country, the importance of friendship, love, and hope. I would highly recommend this story.
The Girls of Pearl Harbor is a breathtaking, intense novel of World War II, beginning with nurses who are stationed in the deceptive beauty of Oahu, Hawaii. The author writes with excellence, sharing joys and struggles of nurses and the troops they care for. The characterizations are in-depth, the story so compelling it was hard to put down. We get a glimpse of the horrible slaughter of December 7, 1941 at Pearl Harbor and the young men and women who watched Oahu be transformed from paradise on earth to worse than anything they could have imagined.
We meet three nurses who come to work at Tripler General Hospital. April and Grace are sisters and Poppy is their best friend. Poppy’s boyfriend, Teddy is also stationed there as a flyboy. April is very serious about being a nurse. She is eighteen months older than Grace and had taken charge of the home after their mother died when she was fifteen. Poppy is like the middle sister they never had who often was the mediator during their disagreements, many over Grace’s impulsive behavior. Poppy and Teddy have been sweethearts for over a year. Grace has a huge crush on Teddy, and has since the night they met him, but she would never do anything take him away from her best friend. Grace is the fun-loving risk taker who doesn’t have the same inner calling to be a nurse as the others; the sight of blood is more than she can handle but she became a nurse to be with her sister and best friend.
The three met Eva Branson, a Navy Corps nurse stationed on the USS Solace, at a party. The four were inseparable from there, close in age. Eva is also serious about nursing and very good at it. Her boyfriend Charlie is also a flyboy who desperately wants to abandon his squadron to go to England to fight. If he does, however, he may not be allowed back in the United States, much less in his Air Force squadron. Eva refuses to discuss her father; no matter what happens, she cannot go back to Oregon.
Their island paradise became their worst nightmare when the Japanese attacked on that morning they would never forget. The experiences they had in nursing school never prepared them for what they saw and the men and women they cared for – or watched be sent to the morgue. April became a surgical nurse, excelling at it despite the horrors of the injuries. Grace became a gentle comfort and caregiver to those in the hospital and beyond. As the US entered the war, the nurses matured from girls fresh from their parents’ homes to competent, confident caregivers, one battle at a time, as they went from Oahu to Africa with the 114th Station Hospital.
This novel will be appreciated best by those who love WWII women’s fiction. It is, at times, a tough, gritty read of young women and men who give their all for their country. It seems to have been very well-researched, based on the details and on other WWII novels I’ve read. It is overall a clean read with the exception of a handful of expletives. This gifted author is a true storyteller, weaving together the horrors of war, the young women who served as nurses, love, loss, and hope for the future despite the death and destruction around them. I highly recommend this novel to those who enjoy women’s fiction about nursing, WWII, and relationships of family and loved ones.
From a thankful heart: I won a copy of this from Goodreads First Reads and Amazon; a review was not required.
I love a good WWII genre book and this was one. Great characters, lots of action and historical accuracy. I was not that aware of the war from the eyes of the nurses and it was very informative and especially when they move to North Africa. I recommend this one for all fans of historical fiction and definitely fans of WWII fiction.
Becoming a part of history in a novel is one of the reasons I love historical fiction so much. Ms. Lane has done an amazing job in taking me back into the historcal events of what happened at Pearl Harbor when the Japanese flew in and started bombing. I know from history what took place but “living” this through the characters in this book had my heart pounding and my stomach churning with them. I was in the thick of these events right along with these characters.
Three best friends plus one, embark on what they think will be the adventure “as the best time of our lives” in the US Army Nurse Corps. This is the story of April and Grace, two sisters, and their best friend, Poppy. Their “plus one” is a fireball of energy, Eva, and they fast become treasured friends with each other. Their first assignment is based in Hawaii, a paradise that will never have it’s pristine beauty and peaceful living disturbed…..until that fateful day and the vicious attack on December 7th.
Ms. Lane’s narrative of the attack is heart-stopping action that I felt I was experiencing right along with these characters. I was in shock and unbelief right along with Grace as she was witnessing the horrific events. The ear splitting blasts of gun fire, the stench of smoke and death, the ghastly sight of all those injured and dead bodies was so realistic. I cried and wanted to scream along with the nurses as they ran for cover. As the awful events of that attack start to settle down, there’s unbelievable tragedy that made me cry so much. “How did we go from having the time of our lives here to losing everything.”
Now that America has been pulled into the war, the nurses are faced with a new assignment. They are going to work in Mateur, Tunisia. I traveled along with them and when we stepped off the train, it was definitly a foreign country like none other. “Grace’s heart beat fast as she looked around, amazed all over again at how a regular girl from Oregon had somehow ended up on the other side of the world, in a place so different she couldn’t have even imagined it in her wildest dreams.” The living conditions were such a challenge, not to mention the loosly termed “hospital” these nurses worked out of. It was under almost impossible conditions for them. The heart they had for helping the wounded and suffering soldiers was truly a sacrifice of love. They gave their all and cared for each soldier with every breath they had.
There were also the personal stories of each character woven throughout this book. Each one touched my heart and endeared them to me. I became attached to them in ways that I didn’t expect and pulled for them to fight their way through the horrific conditions, the heart breaking decisions, and the situations they encountered outside of the caretaking they put everything into. I lived their stories in the words and pages of this fictional, but realistic account of what the nurses in the USANC endured. I learned so much about their strength to complete their missions and of their love for their country and the patients they cared for.
I want to thank Lake Union, Netgalley, and Ms. Lane for the kindle copy of this historic read that took me back to this time and event. I have a new found admiration for the nurses who served in this time in history. I give it 5 plus thankful stars!
What a story this one is so moving and emotional, but showing the strength these woman had and what they went through in times that rocked the world, beautifully written, there were tears aplenty but there was also smiles along the way. Make yourself comfy as you get to know these woman and the men that came into their lives.
Three woman two sisters April and Grace and their best friend Poppy sign up to be nurses and are sent to Pearl Harbour, here they meet another nurse Eva and together they are enjoying life with parties, the beach, very handsome soldiers what more could you want and then that all changed on December 7th when the Japanese attacked.
April the big sister and mother figure, so very serious and she wants so badly to help people be a nurse but she also has dreams of more in her career.
Grace, younger sister and who relies on her sister so much but loves to have fun, meet new people, nursing is not her first choice of career but she wanted to be with her sister.
Poppy, bright, bubbly and always fun and very much in love with her boyfriend Teddy.
Eva engaged to Charlie, strong but with problems at home and a very good nurse, she is on the ship The Solace.
December 7th changes their lives forever, what they went through and had to do will leave them different people forever, stronger yes, heart-broken yes, but they move on because that is what they must so. They find themselves in Africa meeting new people, helping to save lives, also finding themselves, opening up and finding love.
I loved this story MS Lane took me back to these times I felt their heart-ache and their joy, got to know these woman, this is a must read book, beautifully written, not put down able. I cannot highly recommend this one enough, it is one that will stay with me for a long time to come, I loved it, and it is such a fabulous compelling read.
Thank you to NetGalIey and Amazon Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
The Girls Of Pearl Harbor is a historical fiction by Soraya M. Lane. It comes out September 10, 2019.
I loved this book! The author did such a good job making us, the reader, feel part of the story. I grasped while the battle raged and cried with the nurses when a friend was lost or their job became so overwhelming as injured after injured were brought in.
Every well written, keeps you engaged from the beginning. The scenery descriptions were amazing. I adored the characters! They were interesting and multidimensional.
I strongly recommend this book! Giving it a 5 star!
For me, a great book is when the author can bring her characters to life right from the pages. When he/she can bring their reader into their world and make you feel as if you are right there, dealing with all the emotions and experiences that the characters are.
Ms. Lane has once again done that for me. I felt as if I was a nurse fighting alongside Grace, Eva and April. We know about what happened to the men who were fighting but history doesn’t lean towards educating us about all the other people who fought; even though this is a work of fiction, the research and attention detail that Ms. Lane puts into her books, I know that her stories could easily read as non-fiction….as a diary of you will.
Another fantastic addition to the historical fiction genre.