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When We Had Wings

Written by: Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, Susan Meissner
Narrated by: Saskia Maarleveld
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Publisher's Summary

From three bestselling authors comes an interwoven tale about a trio of World War II nurses stationed in the South Pacific who wage their own battle for freedom and survival.

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.

In this sweeping story based on the true experiences of nurses dubbed "the Angels of Bataan," three women shift in and out of each other's lives through the darkest days of the war, buoyed by their unwavering friendship and distant dreams of liberation.

"A novel rich in historical detail that immerses readers in the dangers and deprivation WWII nurses suffered in the Pacific, wrapped up with a hopeful ending."—Booklist

©2022 Ariel Lawhon, Kristina McMorris, and Susan Meissner (P)2022 Harper Muse
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What listeners say about When We Had Wings

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

An important piece of history well told

I had high hopes for this book. After all, how could you go wrong with a collaboration from these three amazing writers?
First of all, I must say this is an amazing story, and despite my whining in the paragraph below, I highly recommend this book.
There were a few things that brought this audio version down to 4 stars for me. The first was choice of narrator. Initially the British accents of all the American men drove me to distraction. I would find myself cringing whenever there was a dialogue between one of the nurses a male voice. The narrator finally lost this annoying habit about half way through the book, and I found myself able to once again enjoy the dialogue between characters.
At times, I found it hard to follow the bouncing around between characters and locations. As another reviewer stated, this could be quite confusing. I think I would have enjoyed reading a print version of this book over the audio. Especially if the print version included a map of the Philippines which highlighting the various locations featured in the story.
I also would have loved if there were 3 female voices telling the story, in place of one.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great story, audio was a it difficult to follow at the beginning.

Based off the stories of the Angels of Bataan in WW2, three nurses meet and become friends. They eventually get captured and become prisoners in Japanese camps and their stories unfold. The audio book was good. Mostly easy to follow. The beginning was a bit more difficult as the places and locations are unfamiliar to me. The story itself, captivated me. The end wrapped up all characters nicely. Left me intrigued with the history and stories of real life people that endured these hardships during WW2.

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

weak story line

This story was cut from the cookie cutter historical drama made by American writers. Aspects of this story are no doubt true but overall I found the patriot clap trap annoying. Other nations that were prisoners in these camps are ignored or glazed over.
The horrible fake British accents during the beginning along with the pronunciations of some word really got on my nerves. I wish I hadn't downloaded this one.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Tedious and trite

A disappointment all around. Predictable, one dimensional characters and seemingly never ending. It’s an important story to tell but not like this.

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