Robyn heads to England just before her grandmother dies. Seeing her sister Ashleigh is not easy for her. The two were once close but have become distant since Ashleigh had a bicycle accident that left her in a wheelchair. When they were children, their grandmother set up quite a few treasure hunts and the sisters really enjoyed them. The last wish of their grandmother means that Ashleigh must accompany Robyn to her home in Hawaii for one last treasure hunt. Challenges abound but the sisters follow through and with a series of letters and clues they work together as their grandmother had requested.

Soon Robyn and Ashleigh learn that their grandmother had a secret for years and they slowly learn about their grandmother's life and time during World War II. Not only do the sisters have a lot to learn about their grandmother, they have a lot to learn about each other. In fact, the time they spend together affords them the opportunity to grow closer together again. They stumble along and do not always agree, but they have a remarkable time together.

This was an excellent book from beginning to end. I had this review copy as an audiobook ARC and it was masterfully narrated by Laurence Bouvard. Her voices were marvelous, especially when we heard Grandmother Ginny's voice during the letters the girls were reading. As this story was delivered, the sisters lives were evolving, but we also got to see parts of Ginny's life during the war. Her experiences were amazing and it was wonderful to watch the sisters learn so much about her life at that time.

The settings in this book were well done, made even better as we learn about female pilots during WWII. This story had a wonderful impact on me, but that grew even stronger when reading the Acknowledgments at the end of the book. The fact that this was based on a true story was so very impressive.

Many thanks to Bookouture and to NetGalley for this ARC for review. This is my honest opinion.

My review is for the audio version. I really enjoyed listening. The dual timeline was good. The narrator did a good job of helping the listener distinguish between character. Lovely front cover too, very appealing!
If you enjoy historical stories about friendships, love and bravery, I’d recommend you give this a try.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bookoutre Audio for a digital copy in exchange for my review.

I enjoyed this audiobook once I had got into it after a couple of tries. I am pleased that I persisted as I did enjoy it in the end.
Tissues were needed and again it highlights the needless loss in war.

The narration was mostly very good.

Thanks to NetGalley UK for the audiobook.

I really struggled with this one, I don’t know why though so I won’t mark it down for this.

It was a historical story full of drama, love, friendships, relationships and loss. It was also based on true events which is always interesting.

The voices were good, with different accents and this made it engaging and varied.

Would recommend if you are looking for a historical based novel full of love and loss.

A story set across two timelines. Two estranged sisters are forced to work together to solve a puzzle set up by their grandmother and a historical story of the attack on Pearl Harbour and the ramifications. An interesting read.

Beautifully written and beautifully read. This was such a lovely book to have as an audiobook. 100% recommended

Dual timeline WWII historical fiction and romance, set mainly in Hawaii in 1941 and 2019, and inspired by aspects of true stories and events.

In 2019, Robyn and Ashleigh have both moved away from their promising athletic careers. Ashleig's decision followed a serious accident, whereas Robyn decided to focus on her studies to become an aeronautical engineer.

Robyn and Ashleigh are very close to their grandma Ginny but after her death, with mixed feelings, they find themselves following a final treasure hunt, arranged by their grandma from her sickbed, to reveal secrets from her past she hasn't felt able to discuss with them during her lifetime.

It was great to see such a strong cast of determined female characters, and to understand more about the awful events surrounding the infamous Pearl Harbour attack. The only downside for me was the English accents in the audiobook didn't ring true, but the narrator did a great job of conveying emotions and portraying a distinct voice for each character.

A Letter From Pearl Harbor is a dual-timeline, historical fiction story. Both timelines are set in Hawaii, one in 1941, the other in 2019. In 2019, Robyn Harris and her sister Ashleigh are reeling from the death of their strong, determined grandmother who raised them. When Ginny McAllister was dying, she put together a treasure hunt in on the island of Oahu. She wants her granddaughters to solve the hunt, thus revealing a secret to them. Ginny lives in Hawaii and works as an aeronautical engineer, while Ashleigh still lives in England and is in a wheelchair after a cycling accident which she's still bitter about it. The young women fly to Oahu to begin the hunt. The story Ginny tells begins before the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Ginny is working as a flying instructor on Oahu and her brother is a navy pilot. The story she shares is about her time trying to help the armed forces with her skills, her time in London, her return to Hawaii and the tragedy that occurs there.

This is a very different story from others I have read about Pearl Harbor. The bombing is part of the story, but it is a story about female pilots and friendships set during this time. This book incorporates many historical facts and moments, but for me it was a story of family, friendship, perseverance, not giving up, following your dreams and forgiveness. Robyn and Ashleigh have a complicated relationship. The trauma of Ashleigh's accident has left her wounded and their relationship difficult. It is the grief, loss and treasure hunt that moves them forward as individuals, thus helping to repair their relationship and forgiving themselves and each other.

This book is full of strong female characters. Ginny, Lili, and the other female pilots were smart, strong, fearless and willing to take risks for their opportunity to fly and help their country. I knew that women were still treated as fragile, but it was frustrating to read about the obstacles that were placed in their way or the false assumptions of the males that made the decisions. Those that did make it as WAAFs and ATA in the UK, and the WASPs in the US, under appreciated and under utilized. Make sure you read the author's notes at the end containing historical notes and context, along with the timeline and further background on some of the fascinating people referred to in this novel.

The story itself flows smoothly between the two timelines as well as the story being told by Ginny in the letters she left in the treasure boxes and the story of Robyn and Ashleigh. I will say I was surprised by the secret Ginny had kept all those years, but I also know why she chose to share it at that time. I recommend this one to those who enjoy historical fiction, family stories, and those dealing with forgiveness, moving forward in life and even a bit of romance. Overall an enjoyable story. I did a read/listen with this book and enjoyed both formats very much. The narrator, Laurence Bouvard, was new to me. I enjoyed her performance. She gave distinctive voices to the various characters and used accents, tone, expression and emotion to pull this reader into the story. I recommend this book in either format.

In a Nutshell: Yes, yet another WWII story with dual timelines involving a past secret. But this one does not serve only the typical WWII survivor/combat trauma fare. It’s “zara hatke”, as we say in India.

Story:
2019, England. Robyn Harris adores her 98 year old grandmother Ginny and is devastated when she passes away. On her deathbed, Ginny bequeaths Robyn and her sister Ashleigh with a letter containing details of a treasure hunt, just like she used to make for the girls when they were younger. The problem is that the treasure hunt is set in Hawaii, a place where Robyn resides but Ashleigh being disabled and restricted to a wheelchair, will find a challenge to travel to. The girls have no choice but to follow their grandma’s instructions, and as they work together, they discover hitherto unknown secrets of Ginny’s extraordinary life.
Through the treasure hunt and Ginny’s letters, we also see the timeline set in 1941 from Ginny’s perspective, beginning a few days before the Pearl harbour attacks.

If you think this sounds like the plot of most WWII historical fiction novels released in the last few years, you won't be entirely in the wrong. This dual timeline + letter revealing family secrets is one of the most common tropes of WWII historical fiction nowadays. But here is where 'A Letter from Pearl Harbor' differs from the rest of the books:
1. The usual trope is that of a letter from the past leading to the discovery of some family secrets or heirlooms. This time, it's a treasure hunt that is designed to bring Robin and Ashley not just close to each other but closer to their past. Yup, there’s a secret involved, but it is Ginny herself who is unveiling the secret through her letters. There is no independent discovery or blind stabs at the truth.
2. Usually, the female lead in the historical part of the narrative is one who is stuck in war conditions and does her best to cope or survive. Not Ginny. She's outspoken, impulsive, and gutsy, and a trained flight instructor to boot. Her narrative is the highlight of this book as she makes for a very different historical lead female character.
3. As the title suggests, the story isn't set in your usual WWII locations of England or Germany or mainland US but in Hawaii. The location is used very well in this story and isn't restricted only to the 1941 attack on Pearl Harbor. This adds a wonderful authenticity and freshness to the narrative.

Ginny, Robyn and Ashleigh carry the book on their shoulders wonderfully. But they aren’t the only women in the story and the rest of the female characters are also quite impactful. Ginny and her fellow women pilots are such a treat to read about! The author’s research shows in every detail about these brave women pilots and their challenges they faced in doing their duty. Their struggles were unfair and the discrimination against them in the male-dominated army was shameful. The remarks about equal rights and the barbs at the two-facedness of the government in treating the women service personnel were delightful to read. The only part I found a bit irritating in this timeline was the repeated reference to makeup and looks. (I guess this is more of my problem; I am notoriously anti-makeup even in real life. But even keeping this aside, there are only so many references to “gorgeous eyes” that I can tolerate without rolling my own eyes.)
As almost always, I enjoyed the historical part of the narrative much more than the contemporary one. The Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor is brilliantly written. Every single scene in this segment felt harrowing to read. What I would have liked to see a little more of is the local anger towards the native Japanese after the attacks. There is just a passing mention to this, and in a book that tries so much to be fair to women and locals, it seemed incomplete to exclude that angle.
The 2019 story works decently well. The best part of this timeline was the focus on Ashleigh’s struggle towards self-acceptance and the wheelchair sports events. Her character starts off a bit flat and monotonous at first but soon grows into an interesting arc. Robyn’s character pales in comparison as her arc is more straightforward and predictable. The treasure hunt didn’t really grab me. In most cases, the clues were guessed by the characters in the first attempt itself and that took away the fun. One odd thing was how the girls were not grabbing the clues and tearing them apart with curiosity. I mean, if you are fond of treasure hunts and your grandma has left one for you on her deathbed as a final challenge, would you take the envelope on one day, read the clue on the next day, and once you get the letter about the next destination, read half of it and save the rest for later? Who has that much patience?!?! Still, it was a novel way of knowing about the past timeline. And as the clues involved well-known places in Hawaii, the treasure hunt provided a lovely glimpse in Hawaiian landmarks and culture.
I was a bit surprised to see that the parents of the main characters have NO role to play in both of the timelines. The 1941 timeline focusses on Ginny’s relationship with her brother and her colleagues while the 2019 timeline sees Ginny’s relationship with her granddaughters. Ginny’s parents and the girls’ parents have just a blink-and-you-miss appearance. This doesn’t affect the story as such, but leaves you feeling like there’s a gap somehow.
The blurb is a bit misleading in this line: “Robyn’s whole world is turned upside down when she’s faced with a shocking secret which has the power to change the course of her own life.” I am still trying to figure out what this shocking secret was because I didn’t find anything that could UPTURN her life!
Reading through what I have written so far, I feel like whatever I am cribbing about are mostly trivial areas of improvement. I still enjoyed the story to a great extent. It deserves a read mainly for its historical timeline and the revelations contained therein about the brave American girl pilots during the WWII. This is my second book by Anna Stuart. I’ve seen the power of her research and her eye on authenticity in “The Berlin Zookeeper”. I think I liked that book just a teeny bit better than this one, mainly because the contemporary narrative was more captivating. But this book still stands out as it provides a detailed look at WWII from the Hawaiian islands, not a perspective you see usually.
I was hovering consistently between 3.5 to 4 stars, depending on which timeline I was reading. What made me go up to 4.25 was the author's note at the end, where she recounts her research, details about which of the characters are real, the actual timeline of the Pearl Harbor, and the role of the women pilots. I had guessed only one of the characters - Jacqueline Cochran - to be real, so I was pleasantly surprised to see just how many of the names mentioned in the book belonged to actual people in history.
Recommended to historical fiction fans who want to know more about the Pearl Harbor attacks and the role of women pilots during the WWII.

I heard the audiobook as narrated by Laurence Bouvard. She is a fabulous narrator and does absolute justice to all the characters, providing them with an individuality that helps you stay on track with the complicated timelines. One point I wish authors would incorporate is a policy of having distinct names for their characters, especially when there are multiple timelines and many characters. This story had a Jack and a Zack, and they ended up confusing me several times, though they were in two separate timelines.

My thanks to Bookouture Audio and NetGalley for the ALC of “A Letter from Pearl Harbour”. This review is voluntary and contains my honest opinion about the audiobook.

Fabulous!
1941, Pearl Harbor: On the morning of December 7th, Ginny is flying her little yellow plane above the sparkling seas when she spots an unknown aircraft closing in on her. She recognises the red symbol of the Japanese fighter planes almost too late. Somehow, she manages to land unscathed but the choices she is forced to make in the terrible hours that follow have tragic consequences…



2019, Pearl Harbor: Heartbroken Robyn Harris is reeling from the death of the strong, determined grandmother who raised her. Her only comfort is a letter written in Ginny’s distinctive hand which details a treasure hunt, just like the ones she used to set for her as a little girl. Except this time, the clues are scattered across the beautiful island of Hawaii. Despite her grief, Robyn finds herself intrigued as she follows the trail of letters, revealing the truth about Ginny’s service during the Second World War.

3.5⭐️
A story based on true events. A WW2 story about love, loss and bravery.
98 year old Ginny Mcallister’s last wish is for her grand daughters to complete a treasure hunt containing clues of her past. A clever concept.

I had the 🎧audiobook version. I liked the narrator. Distinctive voices for the different characters, although Lily sounded a bit simpering.

The story is told in alternating chapters between Grandma Ginny and Granddaughters Robyn and Ashleigh mixing the past and present. The format works with a seamless transition.

The characters are likeable, and was interested in Ginny’s life. However I was far less interested in the grand daughters lives. I would have preferred just Ginny’s And Lily’s story. It felt a bit cliched in parts, I have to allow for the more stilted language used in the 1940’s.

I was very interested in Ginny and the history of Pearl Harbour, but I didn’t find that there was enough going on throughout to really keep me absorbed. It’s more a light easy listen.

The historical notes were interesting.

What an amazing book this is! I am sometimes a little bit hesitant to read books about war, in case they are too emotional or gory for me, but this one was perfect, as it didn't go into too much gory detail and it wasn't overly emotional, like some other books about war. It is a heart warming story, which is delightful and I really loved it and enjoyed listening to the audiobook. The narrator of the audiobook was superb.

The story is about Ginny's last wish before she dies, which is for her granddaughters to do a treasure hunt, where they will find items relating to her past, which will reveal secrets she holds. Ginny is 98 and is ready to leave the earth, but she can't rest until she has this last wish fulfilled. Her granddaughters agree to do the treasure hunt and while they travel to Hawaii, they not only find all the treasures, but they gain their own treasures too.

The story is told in two timelines, which I really enjoyed. We are in 2019 with the two granddaughters Robyn and Ashleigh, and we are in 1941, with Ginny when she was a young pilot. Both timelines are so interesting and I just loved going back and forth between both timelines. It was nice to read about family, friendships, romance, mystery and adventure. Of course, the war sections I was not so keen on, but it is history, and as I said before, it was not too gruesome. The story of the characters were what kept me reeled in. The settings of the story are lovely and the characters are so sweet. I thoroughly enjoyed the whole book, which was well written, and I highly recommend it!

Many thanks to the author, publisher and NetGalley for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

An extraordinary tale of courage and selflessness that is even more impactful during our trying modern times. Beautifully written and narrated