This is a beautifully written story about the human cost of World War 2. It was an interesting story which felt real.

Thank you to Netgalley for my copy.

Descriptive-Great Female Lead Characters-Plot Line That Developed Well Over The Course of the Novel

I am admittedly a huge historical fiction buff.  This novel is a great addition to a genre which is growing in popularity.  The novel is atypical because its plot centers around the lesser known heroes of Pearl Harbor and the destructive war which inevitably followed - the female nurses who were present on both land and at sea on December 7, 1941.  It was quite refreshing to have such strong female lead characters and I felt very connected to them all (not even one over another as usually happens to me when I read!) as their stories developed.

The novel follows the nurses as the United States enters World War II after Pearl Harbor and readers are taken on a descriptive journey by train and ship to the United States's theater in Africa.  The way the author is able to weave multiple stories into one cohesive novel really worked for me as a reader.  It also feels as though the author "did her homework," so to speak, on the conditions, local customs, clothing, etc. of the African theater, which I sincerely appreciated as a WW2 historical fiction lover.

Overall, this was an excellent read.  I did not give it 5/5 stars because the transitions between story lines and time periods (the day of the attack, peacetime to wartime, Pearl Harbor to Africa, etc.) felt a bit disjointed to me.  However, I recommended this to my Bookstagram followers and will do the same here!

This is the 3rd book of Soraya’s books I have read and it was amazing!!! This book grabs you right from the beginning and takes you on an emotional roller coaster ride!! Highly highly recommend!!!,

A group of young nurses enjoying the beauty of Hawaii are suddenly thrown into the terrifying attack on Pearl Harbor. The story tells of their bravery and stamina. Their friendships carried them through the long days tending to the severely injured and the beginning of the many years looming on the horizon.

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!

This is a new to me author. The story begins with four nurses, Poppy, Grace, April and Eva, stationed in Pearl Harbor a month before the attack. They were so happy to be there, felt like they were living in paradise. Every night was a party and the injuries were minor. Then the attack happened and nothing was ever the same again. I absolutely loved this story. I loved the fact that it focused on the nurses and their point of view. The details were so vivid that I could envision the attack. I also liked the fact that the second part of the attack took place in North Africa. So much focus is placed on the war taking place in Europe that I'm embarrassed to say that I really don't know that much about the battles of WWII in Africa. This story made me admire nurses even more than I already do. This was an amazing work of historical fiction. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The opinion is all mine.

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.

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.

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!

This was my first book by Soraya and I absolutely loved it!  I enjoyed reading about wartime through the eyes of the female nurses. 

The romance in each of the storylines were really sweet as well.  I loved how Eva brought Art back to life after his debilitating injury.  

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Riveting & heart-wrenchingly beautiful.

Soraya M. Lane made me feel as if I was the one running for cover as the Japanese fighter planes let loose a string of bullets and bombs over Hawaii. The depth of her writing left me crying for the ones lost, loving the brokenhearted, fearing for what was to come and for the lives of all the soldiers at war, and squeamish at the injuries caused by the bombing at Pearl Harbor.

The Girls of Pearl Harbor follows the lives of four nurses and the hardships they have to go through during and after the attack on Pearl Harbor. The raw emotions depicted throughout the book will leave one breathless and wanting to read more. I have come to love each nurse and their loves so much that my heart couldn't take it once I finished the book. 

Such a great read. Would definitely recommend to anyone who loves historical fiction, an adventurous tale, and a drama filled romance!

Thank you to NetGalIey and Amazon Publishing for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have always been fascinated by WW2 historical fiction, and have read quite a bit of it.  However, this is the first historical fiction that I have read that takes place at Pearl Harbor.  It was heartbreaking to read about these nurses and soldiers that were expecting a safe place to be stationed, and ended up being attacked so brutally by the Japanese and thrown into war.

The Girls of Pearl Harbor follows the story of two sisters, April and Grace, and another friend named Eva that they met in Hawaii.  It starts about a month before the attack and then ends several years later after they were deployed to Africa.  The chapters alternated between the three girls, and showed their personalities so well that I became quite attached to them by the end of the book.

I loved the vivid descriptions of everything they went through, from the attack, to personal issues, to their lives at the hospital and their deployment.  I felt like I was witnessing it all through their eyes.  I would love to see this become a movie.

I also enjoyed how the book wasn't just about the war, but also friendship, love, ambitions, and family.  There was a little bit of everything and it made for a well rounded story.  

I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that likes historical fiction, especially those interested in WW2 era stories.

Grace and April, two sisters from Oregon, join the nurse corps and are posted to Pearl Harbor in early 1941. It seems like paradise, but of course the reader knows what is coming. They meet up with another military nurse, Eva, and all become friends, bonding over many tragedies and triumphs. I found the plot somewhat contrived--they're supposedly in the military, but there seems to be very little mention of it. Grace is said to be squeamish around blood--wouldn't someone have noted that in her training and addressed it?  I think I was the wrong reader for this novel. I love well researched historical fiction, and this seemed more like a World War II romance.

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.

RIVETING!

THE GIRLS OF PEARL HARBOR by Soraya M. Lane is riveting! Three young nurses (Grace, April & Poppy) join the US Army Nurse Corps and quickly befriend another seasoned nurse, Eva. They all join for different reasons but their first station is in beautiful Hawaii. They are enjoying all the tropical paradise has to offer until the infamous morning of December 7 when the whole world turned upside down. In an instant, life as the world has known it, changed completely!! The horrors these four women would face & endure would break most people. Yet, they remained and they grew from each close encounter with death, with each close encounter with critically injured people - soldiers, townspeople (young children as well as adults & senior adults) & each close encounter with their own feelings and emotions. They learn what true love is not but even in the midst of all the horrors of war they are able to learn what true love (lifetime love) really means. I was provided an ARC of this book by Lake Union Publishing & NetGalley. The opinions expressed are completely my own and without influence.

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.

“The Girls of Pearl Harbor” is a WWII fact-based fictional account of four young women serving their country as nurses; three in the U.S. Army Nurse Corps and one Navy nurse on the hospital ship, USS Solace, all stationed in Pearl Harbor. The girls can’t believe their good luck. It’s like a paid vacation in paradise until it all turns to sh*t on the “date that will live in infamy”, December 7, 1941 when the Empire of Japan carried out a surprise attack on the United States of America.

Of particular note are the accounts of the young women’s experiences and the events that test their mettle, their reactions and the bonds that form from such close quarter living and working together under oftentimes harrowing conditions. In addition to the combat scenes, the intense dramas that unfold in battlefield surgeries are especially riveting. How each character matures and evolves in response to their losses, and how they bounce back from adversity, the sisterly love they share and the romantic love each discovers is uplifting but never sappy. Seeing the historic events through the eyes of young women who were much less worldly than today’s generation is especially interesting.

Author Lane’s descriptions are vivid and hugely satisfying, the historical background well researched and the narrative is delivered in the third person voices of the three surviving women. I would’ve liked to have seen a smoother segue to the conclusion. The too quick and easy ending was a bit of a letdown after the intense drama that unfolded throughout the story. A bit like experiencing a whiplash. All told though, still a damned fine read. Four and a half stars.
My thanks to Net Galley for providing an ARC (Advance Reader’s Copy) in exchange for my honest review.
#NetGalley #TheGirlsofPearlHarbor #SorayaM.Lane

Starts Out Feeling Like The Movie, Becomes So Much More. Through the opening third of this book or so, when our central characters are at Pearl Harbor, it is very hard to break away from comparing the scenes here to the Ben Affleck / Kate Beckinsale movie from the turn of the Millenium. Which isn’t an overly bad thing – this reader loved that movie and it made a fair amount at the box office to boot.

And then we get to Dec 7, 1941, a date which will live in infamy. (Though I do wish Lane had included that particular phrase when showing some of Roosevelt’s speech the next day.)

At the actual attack, Lane does a superb job of getting us into the heads of these particular characters as the events and aftermath are unfolding. It is here that she truly sepatates her tale from the movie, and it is at this point that the reader never really thinks about the movie again until sitting down to write the review.

To go much in depth at all with the plot beyond this is to veer close to spoiler territory, but suffice it to say that for those that survive Dec 7, the book continues with the efforts to further support the war, this time in the Africa Campaign. Superb writing here again, though there *is* a rape scene that some may want to be aware of going into this. But Lane does an excellent job of expanding our scope in this section to see not just the soldiers and nurses, but the townspeople they are working among.

Overall maybe my one complaint here is that the ending is perhaps a bit too tidy, particularly after doing such an amazing job of showing the various horrors of war from the small and personal to the grand and international. Still, very much a recommended book.

I loved this book and it is so nice to read historical fiction from the point of views of women and nurses, in which the book is centred around their experiences in nursing soldiers during the war. This book centres on four young woman, sisters April and Grace and their friends Poppy and Eva. They are deployed to pearl harbour as army nurses, with Ava being a navy nurse on one of the vessels off the coast of pearl harbor. This book does come with some trigger warnings; sexual harassment and death (including that of infants) however it is just showing the true horrors of the war, and not sugar coating it too much. There is also a bit of sexism in this book that makes you realise just how much has changed since the war, in which April is reminded to "remember her place as a nurse and woman" I won't explain why...Spoilers. 
For me the only negative I found about this book is that it actually is not based in Pearl Harbor for very long, yes we witness them being first posted there and the brutal attack, but then they move to Tunisia and the front line, finally returning home once the war has ended. Although I did really enjoy the ending to be honest. For me this book is 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Two American sisters and their friend travel to Pearl Harbour to continue their nursing career.  They are met with paradise; the weather, the island, their freedom from the constraints of living at home with their parents and new friendships.  Then comes the attack by the Japanese; their friend is killed and the paradise turns into a nightmare with all the horrors of war, the wounded and the dead.

Later they transfer to North Africa to help the war effort there.  Conditions here are much worse.  Although they work hard, April, Grace and Eva are still suffering from the death of their friend and we witness their struggles and their efforts to overcome their situation.

I was slightly disappointed in this book although I find it hard to put my finger on why.  The plot was well constructed, the characters interesting and well-developed and I certainly found the Pearl Harbour sequence harrowing.  Also, a big also, I did want to find out what happened to the girls and kept reading.  Maybe I am being a bit harsh, but …

Thank you to the author, publishers and NetGalley for providing an ARC via my Kindle in return for