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!
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