Tag: WWII

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The Last Lifeboat 

381 pages Publisher Berkley Publication date June 13, 2023

ABOUT THE BOOK

A Most Anticipated Book by Real Simple ∙ SheReads ∙ BookBub ∙ and more!

Inspired by a remarkable true story, a young teacher evacuates children to safety across perilous waters, in a moving and triumphant new novel from New York Times bestselling author Hazel Gaynor.
 
1940, Kent: Alice King is not brave or daring—she’s happiest finding adventure through the safe pages of books. But times of war demand courage, and as the threat of German invasion looms, a plane crash near her home awakens a strength in Alice she’d long forgotten. Determined to do her part, she finds a role perfectly suited to her experience as a schoolteacher—to help evacuate Britain’s children overseas.
 
1940, London: Lily Nichols once dreamed of using her mathematical talents for more than tabulating the cost of groceries, but life, and love, charted her a different course. With two lively children and a loving husband, Lily’s humble home is her world, until war tears everything asunder. With her husband gone and bombs raining down, Lily is faced with an impossible choice: keep her son and daughter close, knowing she may not be able to protect them, or enroll them in a risky evacuation scheme, where safety awaits so very far away.
 
When a Nazi U-boat torpedoes the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada, a single lifeboat is left adrift in the storm-tossed Atlantic. Alice and Lily, strangers to each other—one on land, the other at sea—will quickly become one another’s very best hope as their lives are fatefully entwined.

Open ocean with gentle waves under a partly cloudy blue sky
A vast expanse of ocean water reflecting sunlight under a sky filled with scattered clouds

MY THOUGHTS

The Last Lifeboat puts you right there, in the lifeboat with the lost at sea and needing rescued children.
Based on true historical facts I had a hard time putting this one down.
When the S. S. Carlisle carrying a ship of children to Canada is torpedoed by a Nazi U-boat tragedy strikes.
As the threat of war looms British children are being evacuated overseas to Canada but disaster strikes this one. The very last lifeboat to evacuate the children becomes lost at sea in treacherous waters. This is the story of those children and how they survived those harrowing days, adrift in a lifeboat becoming weaker and delusional with very little food and water. Very few children from the original voyage survived. Such a tragic story but the heroes become apparent right away as they give their portions of food, water, warm clothing and boost the morale of the children.
What a celebration when the survivors reached shore.
Very sad history I was glad to see all who helped in whatever way they could.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

About the author

Hazel Gaynor is an award-winning, New York Times, USA Today, Irish Times and internationally bestselling author known for her deeply moving historical novels which explore the defining events of the 20th century. A debut author recipient of the 2015 RNA Historical Novel of the Year award, her work has since been shortlisted for the 2019 HWA Gold Crown Award, the 2020 RNA Awards, and the Irish Book Awards in 2017, 2020, 2023 and 2025. WHEN WE WERE YOUNG & BRAVE was a national bestseller in the USA and THE LAST LIFEBOAT was a Times of London historical novel of the month and a 2024 Audie winner for Best Fiction Narrator. Her co-written historical novels with Heather Webb have all been published to critical acclaim. Hazel’s latest novel, BEFORE DOROTHY, became a USA Today bestseller and is shortlisted for the 2025 Irish Book Awards. Her work has been translated into twenty languages and she is published in twenty-seven territories to date. She lives in Ireland with her family.

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Garden of Secrets: A heartbreaking WW2 historical novel about an unforgettable wartime secret


376 pages Bookouture Publisher Publication date April 8, 2022

ABOUT THE BOOK

1940, England: A heart-breaking, unforgettable and powerful story about love, wartime secrets, and betrayal. Perfect for fans of Rhys Bowen’s The Victory Garden and Kristin Hannah’s The Nightingale.

When Anya is sent to rural England to work as a spy, she’s glad to escape a terrifying situation at home in war-torn Russia. But as she settles into life as a land girl, she fears she’s made a terrible mistake.

With her life at risk every day, she can only turn to her fellow informer, Nikolai, who she finds herself impossibly drawn to. They both desperately want to join the fight against the Nazis and when they are told Russia has switched allegiance, they start to believe their love might stand a chance.

But no one can ever know their secret history, and being together puts them in the gravest danger. So they devise a plan. If they’re ever separated, they will find their way back to each other. They just have to follow a series of secret coded messages. Clues no one else could possibly understand.Starting with a small key, left in the place that has become most precious to them: the secret garden.

Now, England: When Laura agrees to restore a beautiful garden in the grounds of an English stately home she sees the opportunity for a new start, away from heartbreak. But when she finds a box buried under the weeping willow tree, she is spellbound by its contents – a key and a cryptic note. As she begins to piece together the fragments of a love story that stretches across wartime Europe, Laura doesn’t realise it, but she is embarking on an unforgettable journey. One which will change her own life forever.

MY THOUGHTS

A secret garden, a walled garden, it conjures up thoughts of secrets long buried, of secret trysts happening long ago.
I am once again captivated by the author’s portrayal of WWII and the courage of the women of that time period.
The love story found within the page’s spans seventy-five years, and the garden plays a pivotal role in the story in both the past and present times.
Oh how my heart ached reading this, the emotions it evoked, as though I knew the characters personally.
This historical fiction dual time span absolutely captured me once again. Spies putting their lives on the line, secret identities, plans changing at the drop of a hat. Having to live life on the edge and be prepared for anything at any time.
WWII fiction by an author you’ll want to read.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Kelman an Amazon bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and her books have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide accumulated 10 rights deals across eight territories. Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.

As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch – https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com

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When the Nightingale Sings: An absolutely heartbreaking WW2 novel based on a true story 

412 pages Publisher Bookouture Publication date October 21, 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

1939, Berlin, Cambridge, Paris, California. The world is in the grips of a terrible war. Can two young women change the course of history?

As war is declared in Europe, shy young Judy Morgan finishes her studies in Physics at Cambridge University. She never thought she’d be friends with someone as beautiful and glamorous as Hedy Lamarr, a young Jewish woman who has fled the Nazis, but Judy can’t ignore her brilliance.

It is a time when women are expected to stay at home, but as bombs tear apart the country she loves, Judy knows she must act. With Judy’s unparalleled knowledge of how the world works, and Hedy’s flair for invention, Judy is sure they can find a way to keep their loved ones safe.

But in war, impossible decisions must be made, unthinkable sacrifices must be suffered, and their work puts them in grave danger.

As they journey down a dark, uncertain path together, Judy realises her next step could tear their friendship apart. But the fate of the world is in her hands. Tragedy is inevitable, but can Judy solve the puzzle she has set herself, save millions, and put an end to this terrible war?

MY THOUGHTS

When the Nightingale Sings is such an emotional book. Though fiction it mirrors quite a few real life people’s lives.
Namely Hedy Lamarr, as she became known by, a young Jewish Austrian woman who made it big in the movies.
More than just a pretty face and sex symbol she was an inventor, and we are still using many of her inventions today. Women back then were not taken seriously in roles seen as men’s work, not getting the credit they deserved or the pay the deserved. Equal work, equal pay. Unfortunately, this is still going on to a certain degree today.
I very much appreciate the author writing this book taking place during WWII and seeing women getting the credit they are deserving of.
We are seeing the effects of the war and the devastation it’s causing, such a celebration when it is finally over.
In times of gloom hope brilliantly shines through if you search hard enough for it.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Suzanne Kelman an Amazon bestselling author in America, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, and her books have sold over 400,000 copies worldwide accumulated 10 rights deals across eight territories. Her WW2 historical fiction books are published by Bookouture – an imprint for Hachette U.K.

She is also the author of the bestselling book, “The Rejected Writers’ Book Club”, published by Lake Union, which is the first book in the Southlea Bay series. Other books in the series include, “Rejected Writers Take the Stage” and “The Rejected Writers’ Christmas Wedding”.

Kelman is an award-winning writer/screenwriter whose accolades include the Best Comedy Feature Screenplay Award from the L.A. International Film Festival, the Gold Award from the California Film Awards, and the Van Gogh Award from the Amsterdam Film Festival.

In 2015 her script, Held, was recognized by the Academy of Motion Pictures and was shortlisted to the top ten in the Academy Of Motion Pictures Nichols Fellowship competition.

As well as a screenwriter and a published author, Suzanne is also a playwright, and her award-winning comedy play, “Over My Dead Body”, had its World Premiere at Outcast Theatre in Washington, Fall 2019.

Born in the United Kingdom, Suzanne now resides in Washington State.

Please sign up for her newsletter to stay in touch – https://www.suzannekelmanauthor.com

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historical fiction

Those I Have Lost : A heart-wrenching and unforgettable World War 2 historical novel

449 pages Bookouture publisher July 9, 2021 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

As a terrible war creeps ever closer, one young woman desperately tries to protect those she loves…

1940. When Rosie loses her mother and is sent to Sri Lanka to live with her mother’s friend Silvia and her three sons, her world changes in a heartbeat. As she is absorbed into the bosom of a noisy family, with boys she loves like brothers, she begins to feel at home.

But the war in Europe is heading for Asia. Searching for comfort from the bleak news and the bombings, Rosie meets a heroic soldier on leave, and falls in love for the first time. Yet the war will not stop for passion; he must move on, and she must say goodbye, knowing she might never see him again.

Meanwhile, one by one, the men she considers brothers leave to fight for their island paradise. As she waits in anguish for letters that never come, tortured by stories of torpedoed ships and massacres of innocent families, she realises that she, too, must do her bit.

Rosie volunteers to work in military intelligence, keeping secrets that will help those she loves and protect her island home. But then two telegrams arrive with the chilling words ‘missing believed captured’ and ‘missing believed dead’. Who of those that she loves will survive the devastating war, and who will she lose?

An emotional and heartbreaking read with rich historical detail set against the backdrop of Sri Lanka during World War Two. Fans of Hazel Gaynor, Fiona Valpy, Kristin Hannah and Clare Flynn will be swept away by Those I Have Lost.

MY THOUGHTS

Taking place in India and what we now know as Sri Lanka. 1940 India. This is Rosie’s story. She has suddenly lost her mother as a young girl. This coming-of-age story is a heartbreaker. Her father cannot properly care for her, and she is sent to live with a woman, her mother’s best friend “Aunty” and her three sons in Sri Lanka.

Told in time periods before and during the war. The men, some gladly leave the island to do their part as Europe is being torn apart by the maddening bombs flying.


Devastated, her first love is mia and she feels as though life for her will never be the same. When all she has known winds up in chaos and devastation can she possibly go on? Secrets are sometimes more hurtful when found out. Tragic but beyond the darkness is another day, another day full of hope and the possibility of light shining again.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Sharon Maas was born into a prominent political family in Georgetown, Guyana, in 1951. She was educated in England, Guyana, and, later, Germany. After leaving school, she worked as a trainee reporter with the Guyana Graphic in Georgetown and later wrote feature articles for the Sunday Chronicle as a staff journalist.

Her first novel, Of Marriageable Age, is set in Guyana and India and was published by HarperCollins in 1999. In 2014 she moved to Bookouture, and now has ten novels under her belt. Her books span continents, cultures, and eras. From the sugar plantations of colonial British Guiana in South America, to the French battlefields of World War Two, to the present-day brothels of Mumbai and the rice-fields and villages of South India, Sharon never runs out of stories for the armchair traveller.

You only fail when you stop trying.

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historical fiction

Letters Across the Sea -WWII-Canada

384 pages Simon & Schuster Canada publisher Pub Date Apr 27 2021

ABOUT THE BOOK

Inspired by a little-known chapter of World War II history, a young Protestant girl and her Jewish neighbour are caught up in the terrible wave of hate sweeping the globe on the eve of war in this powerful love story that’s perfect for fans of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

If you’re reading this letter, that means I’m dead. I had obviously hoped to see you again, to explain in person, but fate had other plans.

1933

At eighteen years old, Molly Ryan dreams of becoming a journalist, but instead she spends her days working any job she can to help her family through the Depression crippling her city. The one bright spot in her life is watching baseball with her best friend, Hannah Dreyfus, and sneaking glances at Hannah’s handsome older brother, Max.

But as the summer unfolds, more and more of Hitler’s hateful ideas cross the sea and “Swastika Clubs” and “No Jews Allowed” signs spring up around Toronto, a city already simmering with mass unemployment, protests, and unrest. When tensions between the Irish and Jewish communities erupt in a riot one smouldering day in August, Molly and Max are caught in the middle, with devastating consequences for both their families.

1939

Six years later, the Depression has eased and Molly is a reporter at her local paper. But a new war is on the horizon, putting everyone she cares about most in peril. As letters trickle in from overseas, Molly is forced to confront what happened all those years ago, but is it too late to make things right?

From the desperate streets of Toronto to the embattled shores of Hong Kong, Letters Across the Sea is a poignant novel about the enduring power of love to cross dangerous divides even in the darkest of times—from the #1 bestselling author of The Forgotten Home Child.

MY THOUGHTS

Letters Across the Sea is an incredible historical fiction book based on actual events in history. We start off in 1933, Told from the point of view of Molly Ryan’s family and mainly Molly herself. Molly’s family is Protestant, but she has many friends and neighbors who are Jewish.

Times are carefree with her brother’s playing baseball and her best friend’s brother Max having caught her eye. This carefree time doesn’t last long and Molly longs to be a journalist but must take any low paying job she can get her hands on as the Depression settle in. Signs warning the Jews not to apply for a job there litter Toronto’s city streets.


Hitler’s hateful ideas have filtered in and unrest has run rampant with disastrous results for both Max and Molly’s family.
The ill-equipped and unprepared Canadian military was sent to Hong Kong without proper training or ammunition. Those who didn’t die were to become prisoners of war.


I have read many WWII books but none that have so completely covered this angle of it. Finely researched the sacrifices these men and women made are heartbreaking, but we see such resilience from them. I learned so much from this book.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Genevieve Graham is the Globe & Mail, Toronto Star, and USA Today bestselling author of several novels, including #1 INSTANT NATIONAL BESTSELLERS Letters Across the Sea and The Forgotten Home Child—which was #1 across Canada for 11 weeks in 2020, and became the #5 bestselling Canadian fiction novel of 2020.

Genevieve graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Music, worked in advertising, marketing, and fundraising, then became a stay-at-home mom. In 2007, Genevieve decided to try writing a book using everything she’d learned from years of reading, focusing on historical fiction. Upon moving to Nova Scotia, she was suddenly surrounded by Canadian history she knew nothing about. Alarmed by what she’d never learned, she has made it her mission to bring Canadian history to life, writing one book per year. Bluebird, publishing April 2022, will be her 7th novel. She lives in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

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historical fiction

The Pianist’s Wife-A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love

341 pages Lake Union Publishing February 4, 2025 publication date

ABOUT THE BOOK

A heartbreaking story of friendship, loyalty and the true cost of love, from the bestselling author of The Secret Midwife and Wives of War.

Berlin, 1944: Amira and Gisele have been best friends since they were children, and now Gisele is the only person who knows Amira’s secret. A secret that puts her and everyone she loves in unimaginable danger amid the daily horror and violence of Nazi Germany.

With the threat of exposure drawing closer, Gisele’s suggestion that Amira marries her friend Fred, a famous pianist, might just be the lifeline she needs to keep them both safe. Because Fred has secrets too.

As the two strangers promise to look after each other, a profound love develops. But while the war rages on, Amira, Fred and Gisele are soon faced with terrible choices that will test their loyalty—and their courage—to the ultimate limits. How far will they go to keep each other alive?

An unforgettable World War Two novel about those who chose to defy the Nazis from within Germany.

MY THOUGHTS

Based on true history. My heart aches for all affected by the war, any war, past present and future.


Childhood friends Amira and Gisele have enjoyed a lifelong friendship, now they are adults. Amira has a secret that she’s been shieled from and it really hasn’t affected her until her father passes away. After his death she must face the harsh realities who she is and realizes even more why her father kept her hidden away for her safety.


Full of secrets that if found out could be life altering. No one should have to worry about not being accepted for who you are and your secret meaning death if found out.

I love reading the author’s books. Her books are so well researched, and I simply can’t put them down. Engrossed in the book, it kept me company for the while afternoon.

This book honors women and the sacrifices they make. May we never forget the victims of the wars and the ultimate sacrifices they have given.
This author’s writing keeps me coming back every single time. Amazing!

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

Soraya M. Lane graduated with a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War was an Amazon Charts bestseller.

Soraya lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons and a collection of four legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading.

For more information about Soraya and her books, visit http://www.sorayalane.com or http://www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Twitter @Soraya_Lane

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Daughters of Paris: An epic, heartbreaking and gripping World War II novel! 

ABOUT THE BOOK

A must-read for fans of Kate Quinn and Kristin Hannah!

Paris 1930s

A promise that binds them together. A war that pulls them apart.

Childhood companions Fleur and Colette make a vow, under the trailing ivy of their secret garden, that they will be secret sisters forever. But as they grow up, the promises of childhood are put to the ultimate test. For Colette is the daughter of the house, and her life is all jazz clubs, silk dresses and chilled champagne, while Fleur is the orphan niece of the housekeeper and doesn’t feel like she belongs anywhere.

Years later, in 1939, life as they know it will never be the same. As the German tanks roll in and Paris becomes an occupied city, the promise they made as children will have consequences they could never have imagined…

MY THOUGHTS

WWII historical fiction that was thought provoking yet entertaining. Two girls growing up together with vastly different backgrounds, one rich and accustomed to only the best life can offer, the other the niece of the housekeeper.


As these girls grow into women, they do their best to keep that childhood promise they made to stay in contact and be secret sisters. Besties for life. Paris, romantic, thrilling but then the war comes.

Life will never be the same for these women, life throws curves at them they could not have seen. So many circumstances they experience together and apart.

Life hits them hard but yet there is still joy to be find despite circumstances beyond their control. Romance is inevitable in a lovely book taking place in Paris but yet it is not the main focus.

The sisterhood, a lifetime of changes, vast differences still the bond is unbreakable between these women.
Very much enjoyed this book.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

MEET THE AUTHOR

lisabeth writes romantic historical fiction as Elisabeth Hobbes and historical folklore/fantasy romance as Elisabeth J. Hobbes.

She teaches Primary school and unlike her characters, the six year olds generally do what she tells them. She spends most of her spare time reading and is a pro at cooking one-handed while holding a book. She loves to travel and explore, looking for places to inspire her characters into life.

Elisabeth lives in Cheshire because the car broke down there in 1999 (though at heart she’s still a Yorkshirewoman). She has two almost grown kids, two cats, two dogs and a husband. The whole family are autistic. She dreams of having a tidy house one day.

May your day be pleasant.

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Blog Tour for The Forgotten Italian Restaurant by Barbara Josselsohn Books On Tour.

ABOUT THE BOOK

taly, 1943. The girl rushes down the winding streets, tucking the handwritten menu into the wicker basket and thinking only of the code hidden on the delicate paper. Will anyone forgive her for what she’s about to do to save the man she loves?

Present day. Arriving in sun-drenched Caccipulia, Callie grips the faded restaurant menu in trembling hands. Found hidden in her family home, she is certain it will lead her to the truth about her grandmother’s life in Italy during World War Two. Why did her Nonna run away from this beautiful small town, never to return? Lost and alone in the world, could it help Callie understand who she is?

Local café owner Oliver’s dark brown eyes light up when he sees the menu. During the war, one brave family secretly fed desperate Jewish families hidden in safe houses through the village. Callie’s heart soars at the thought that her own dear grandmother was involved.

Diving into the town’s history during long walks down cobbled streets, Callie begins to feel at home under Oliver’s soft gaze. She wonders if she could build a life here with him. Until they push aside magenta flowers on a monument at the heart of the village, and uncover a secret that changes everything…

A grave mistake was made one dark night as the Nazis stalked the village, putting the whole town in terrible danger. When Callie finds out what her grandmother did, will it change the way Oliver feels about her? Will she stay and right the wrongs of the past, or be forced to leave Italy too, just like her Nonna?

A heartbreaking love story that will sweep you away to sun-drenched Italian vineyards to watch hope and bravery prevail in the darkest days of war. For fans of Kristin Hannah, Victoria Hislop and Fiona Valpy.

MY THOUGHTS

Having read the other two books in the series I was looking forward to the youngest sister’s story and this one did not disappoint. So well researched I feel as though I was walking amongst the characters experiencing what they have. This poignant dual timeline will have you not able to put it down while experiencing many emotions as you read. The ending was superb, the light shines through in such a beautiful way! I loved this book! Recommended for all historical fiction readers.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

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AUTHOR BIO

Barbara Josselsohn is a best-selling novelist and journalist who loves crafting stories about strong protagonists facing a fork in the road. The Forgotten Italian Restaurant is the third and concluding novel in her Sisters of War series, about three sisters separated during the darkest days of World War 2. Earlier books in the series include Secrets of the Italian Island and The Lost Gift to the Italian Island. Her previous books are The Lilac House, The Bluebell Girls, The Lily Garden, The Cranberry Inn, and The Last Dreamer. Barbara has also written hundreds of articles and essays in major and regional publications about family, home and relationships. She lives just north of New York City and enjoys escaping to the beach whenever she can. Other than writing, her biggest passion is her family: her husband, her three kids, and her rescue pup, a mini-schnauzer named Albie. She is currently at work on her eighth novel, due out in 2025.

https://barbarajosselsohn.com/

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Sign up to be the first to hear about new releases from Barbara Josselsohn here: https://www.bookouture.com/barbara-josselsohn

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Happy Publication Day and Blog tour of The Secret Hotel in Berlin: An utterly gripping and heart-wrenching World War 2 novel

ABOUT THE BOOK

Berlin, 1944. ‘It is a great honour to have you here, Herr Hitler.’ Lili doesn’t stumble over the lie, her hand steady as she pours champagne. Everything must be perfect, no one can suspect a thing…

Lili Rodenberg and her husband Marius run the Edel, Berlin’s most glamorous hotel. For its wealthy guests, it is an escape from the destruction outside, with its elegant piano bar and fine amber brandy. But Lili is Jewish, a secret she is terrified will end in tragedy for her and their beloved little girl.

Lili’s only choice is to hide in plain sight, her heart racing each time uniformed officers step through the Edel’s grand entrance. As Berlin becomes a more frightening place, Lili pleads with her husband to help shelter those in danger but Marius is adamant: he will not risk the lives of his wife and daughter. Until the day he is called to the front – and goes missing in action.

Left in sole charge of the Edel, a heartbroken Lili fixes her smile as she serves men who would have her killed in an instant if they knew the truth. She decides she must fight back, hiding Jews in the hotel’s wine cellar before moving them to safety. Though she is seized with terror, it gives her the strength to carry on.

But her courage catches the attention of the Resistance. What they ask of her is impossible.

Lili has protected her daughter by living a life full of secrets. Can she risk it all now and put her child in danger for the sake of her country?

An absolutely unforgettable and heartbreaking story of bravery, love and sacrifice that will keep you turning the pages and reaching for the tissues. Fans of The Nightingale and The Book of Lost Names will be swept away by this stunning novel.

MY THOUGHTS

Oh, my heart!
The more I read of this book the more I knew I had to continue it. The characters are so realistic in this dual timeline book. Taking place during the turbulence of WWII and more modern times we see an emergence of some characters during both timelines.

I loved the grand elegance of the Edel Hotel in Berlin. I love books with hotels and this one was exciting: this hotel kept made me want to cry buckets and it’s new and improved resurgence was unexpected but welcome with visions of days gone by full of glamour linger in the corners of my mind. It was uplifting to see such strong female leads

The story has such a heartwarming ending, it’ll uplift your spirits. This is one you’ll not want to miss.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

Buy Link

THE AUTHOR

I write historical fiction set primarily in Berlin, covering the period from the 1930s up to the fall of the Berlin Wall and dealing with the long shadows left by war. I’ve had nine novels published with Bookouture to date, including a series, and there are more to come. My books have also been translated into a number of languages including French, Danish and, most recently, German.

I spends as much time as I can in Berlin, where my son also lives, and can read German fluently, although I speak it more like a toddler. I’m from the North of England but now live in Glasgow with my American husband. I love to travel and am currently planning a trip next year to Japan. If I’m not at my desk, you’ll find me at the cinema or just follow the sound of very loud music but bear in mind that I’ve been told, more than once, that I have the musical tastes of a teenage boy…

I’d love to hear from you and there are lots of ways you can find me, so jump in via my website or at my Cat Hokin FB page, at Catherine Hokin Writer on Twitter or on my Cat Hokin Author page on Instagram. @cathokin catherinehokin.com

www.catherinehokin.com

WW2 fiction set in Berlin, published by Bookouture & Grand Central Publishing. Details of all books & purchase links at https://www.catherinehokin.com/

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Sisters Under the Rising Sun

400 pages St. Martin’s Press Publish date October 23, 2023

Pub Date Sep 28 2023 Bonnier Books UK/Jaffre publisher

ABOUT THE BOOK

From the New York Times bestselling author of the multi-million copy bestseller The Tattooist of Auschwitz comes a story of sisterhood and survival, inspired by a true story.

A phenomenal novel of resilience and survival from bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Heather Morris.

In the midst of World War II, an English musician, Norah Chambers, places her eight-year-old daughter Sally on a ship leaving Singapore, desperate to keep her safe from the Japanese army as they move down through the Pacific. Norah remains to care for her husband and elderly parents, knowing she may never see her child again.

Sister Nesta James, a Welsh Australian nurse, has enlisted to tend to Allied troops. But as Singapore falls to the Japanese she joins the terrified cargo of people, including the heartbroken Norah, crammed aboard the Vyner Brooke merchant ship. Only two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia, and in a matter of hours, the Vyner Brooke lies broken on the seabed.

After surviving a brutal 24 hours in the sea, Nesta and Norah reach the beaches of a remote island, only to be captured by the Japanese and held in one of their notorious POW camps. The camps are places of starvation and brutality, where disease runs rampant. Sisters in arms, Norah and Nesta fight side by side every day, helping whoever they can, and discovering in themselves and each other extraordinary reserves of courage, resourcefulness and determination.

Sisters under the Rising Sun is a story of women in war: a novel of sisterhood, bravery and friendship in the darkest of circumstances, from the multimillion-copy bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka’s Journey and Three Sisters.

MY THOUGHTS

One thing that gets to me when I read a Heather Morris book is how realistic they are. I love the fact that they are based on real people and situations and that I learn so much from them.


Her book, The Tattooist of Auschwitz is my absolute favorite historical fiction book of all time. It’s just an incredible book.
Sisters Under The rising Sun is an unputdownable book. It’s heartbreaking, yet full of courageous moments and actions.

The women displayed such bravery in the face of adversity time after time. This was a very well researched book, and I enjoyed the author’s notes in the back of the book. We learn more about the characters and their life after the events at the end of the book.


Brave women are struggling to survive in Japanese POW camps in WWII. Their lives were a living hell, faced with starvation, abuse, deprivation of the most basic needs. A novel of sisterhood, bound together by chance and the need to survive the dark circumstances that their life has become. Let us remember these women and the many sacrifices they have given.

I was given a complimentary copy of this book.
All opinions expressed are my own.

THE AUTHOR

Heather Morris is a native of New Zealand, now resident in Australia. For several years, while working in a large public hospital in Melbourne, she studied and wrote screenplays, one of which was optioned by an Academy Award-winning screenwriter in the US. In 2003, Heather was introduced to an elderly gentleman who ‘might just have a story worth telling’. The day she met Lale Sokolov changed both their lives. Their friendship grew and Lale embarked on a journey of self-scrutiny, entrusting the innermost details of his life during the Holocaust to her. Heather originally wrote Lale’s story as a screenplay – which ranked high in international competitions – before reshaping it into her debut novel, The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

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