Thank you Netgalley for an ARC to read and review.

Under a Sky of Memories is a touching and beautifully written story about three nurses who befriend one another in the midst of WWII. Dot, Vita and Evelyn joined the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, each hoping to prove something to themselves and to their families.

In one of their missions to transport wounded soldiers, the plane they are on crashes leaving the entire group of 2 dozen medics and nurses stranded in what they will later learn is Albania. The group now stranded must do whatever it takes to survive, as they wait to be rescued, and their survival depends greatly on the generosity and bravery of the Albanians who help them.

This is a story about the friendship forged between the three women and a hint of romance with the men they meet. A definite must-read, of a story that shows you a different side of what happened during WWII.

Under A Sky of Memories by Soraya Lane is a wonderfully written story inspired by American nurses and medics during WWII. A story of three different women trained to be nurses for the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron. These women board a plane to help the wounded soldiers get the help they need but not knowing what lies ahead for them. This story and the characters are real and captivating! Being a nurse myself I found that I was so able to relate and lose myself in this story! The friendship, love, trust and hope is truly inspiring. This book grabbed me and my heartstrings and did not let go until the last page. The courage of these women is exemplary. They form a bond that nothing or no one can break. This story will stay with me for a very long time.

If you love historical fiction/WWII stories I highly recommend you read this beautifully written story. This is my first book by this outstanding author and I look forward to reading more from her.

Thank you NetGalley, Soraya Lane and Lake Union Publishing for an advanced copy of this heartfelt story in exchange for my honest and unbiased review.
# netgalley #underaskyofmemories #sorayalane #lakeunionpublishing #arc
#historicalfiction #nurses

This newest novel by Soraya Lane takes us back to WWII where 3 American nurses (and their group) end up stranded in Albania fighting for their lives. Dot, Vita and Evelyn joined the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, each hoping to prove something to themselves and to their families. One of their missions to transport wounded soldiers ends up crashing after leaving Sicily, leaving their entire group of 2 dozen medics and nurses stranded in what they later find out is Albania. As they make their way through the small Albanian villages, they have to be careful to stay hidden from the Nazis that are crawling all over. Dot gets separated from the group and Vita and Evelyn desperately try to find anyone who can help their group communicate with the Allies so they can be rescued. Their survival depends greatly on the generosity and bravery of the Albanians who help them.

I enjoyed this novel because I knew nothing about this medical transport squadron. The novel has fictional characters but the crash of the 807th squadron did indeed occur. The files were classified until recently and the survivors were not allowed to speak about their ordeal. All 3 women form a strong bond of friendship with each other and end up finding love through their ordeal. While I find the "romantic aspect" of the storyline a bit unbelievable, it does make it appealing to a broader audience.

Thank you to NetGalley and Soraya Lane for this advanced copy.

What I love about Soraya Lane is the "you are there" quality to her histfic novels and the way she crafts characters you grow to care about. You "live" her tales, not just read them, and this is clearly the case with her newest, UNDER A SKY OF MEMORIES.

The book is based on a true story that occurred in 1943, when members of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron attempted to fly wounded soldiers from Sicily to treatment and their plane crash landed in Albania.

What a yarn! My heart was in my mouth as three American nurses, Evelyn, Dot and Vita, try to save lives and survive horrendous hardship in German-occupied territory. I swiftly turned the pages and read this is two sittings, so gripped by the addictive narrative and the need to know if they survived.

Highly recommended for lovers of historical fiction, WWII novels in unique settings, and stories that sing with authenticity. Out January 11.

Thanks to the author, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union, and NetGalley for the ARC; opinions are mine.

#UnderaSkyofMemories #NetGalley

What a book. If you like WW2 stories based on truth you’ll love this. A mixture of romance and adventure. A wonderful look at this particular group of Pilots, Nurses and Medics who crash landed on a mission during WW2 to take wounded service men from the frontline back to medical base. They had undergone numerous flights but due to bad weather military personnel decided to send 30 staff to do a major mission but due to bad weather settling in they went off course and crashed onto Albania which was being occupied by Germans. Based on true story the characters are amazing and believable and the book is easy to read and follow. Thanks Soraya your publisher and NetGalley.

Soraya M Lane has created another cast of engaging, gutsy characters whose stories draw you in immediately. The friendship that exists between Dot, Evelyn, and Vita - three women from entirely different walks of life - is inspiring, and their collective bravery and tenacity leave you cheering them on. A tragic and yet inspiring story based on a recently discovered truth, this compelling WWII tale educates as it captivates.

This book was so good! It had me at page one and I couldn’t read it fast enough. Three girls all nurses who go on a mission together only for their plane to be shot down.
What follows is their courageous journey back. I liked all three main characters, I do wish there was more about Vita after the war. I don’t think I was quite ready for this book to end, I wanted a few more chapters.
Thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for the early copy

Diesen Roman durfte ich dank Netgalley vorab lesen – vielen Dank an dieser Stelle. Das Buch wird dieser Tage nun im englischen Original erscheinen, bis die deutsche Version herauskommt (wenn!), dürfte es noch dauern – also hier ein Aufruf an die deutschen Leser: wagt euch an das Original, ich muss gleich am Anfang sagen, es lohnt sich 😊!
Hierum geht’s: Wir sind in Sizilien, Catania, 1943. Hier ist der Army Stützpunkt der MAETS, der Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron, einer Einheit, die speziell dafür da ist, verwundete Soldaten aus den Krisengebieten auszufliegen. Hier finden sich drei junge Frauen, die ihrem alten Leben entliehen möchten und ihrem Land dienen wollen. Vita, Erbin aus reichem Hause, mit rebellischem Herzen, möchte nicht als Prinzessin leben, sondern ihrem Leben einen Sinn geben. Die schüchterne Dot, die nach dem Tod ihrer Eltern und Grosseltern keine Familie mehr hat und von ihrem Verlobten schmählich abserviert wurde, muss sich komplett neu (er)finden. Und dann ist da noch die praktisch veranlagte Evelyn, die sich nach dem Tod ihrer Mutter in der Verantwortung für ihre jüngeren Geschwister gesehen hat und nun einen Beruf ergreifen will, der Sinn hat. Die drei unterschiedlichen Mädels freunden sich während ihrer Krankenschwesterausbildung miteinander an, und teilen ihr neues Leben miteinander.
Und dann kommt ein Einsatz, der alles verändern wird: Die drei Freundinnen werden für eine Sondermission ausgewählt, die allerdings komplett schiefläuft. Das Einsatzflugzeug kommt von der Route ab und stürzt ab, und wider aller Wahrscheinlichkeiten überlebt zwar die komplette Mannschaft den Absturz, befindet sich aber in unbekanntem Feindesland, und es beginnt ein Survivaltrip mit ungewissem Ausgang. Als amerikanische Truppe sind sie nicht nur von den Nazis bedroht, sondern befinden sich plötzlich im Bürgerkrieg eines Landes, von dem die meisten vorher noch nichtmals den Namen kannten – Albanien.
Spannende Lage, und interessanterweise eine historisch komplett echte Lage. Die MAETS gab es tatsächlich so in Sizilien, und auch genau diesen Flugzeugabsturz über Albanien hat es auch so gegeben. Natürlich sind die Protagonisten vollkommen frei erfunden, aber die historischen Ereignisse sind belegt, und die Autorin beschreibt im Nachwort, wie fasziniert die von den Berichten gewesen ist. Albanien liegt ja genau gegenüber von Italien und besticht mit atemberaubenden Landschaften, aber der Zivilisationsstandard in den 40ern war um einiges niedriger als im westlichen Europa, und hier gestrandet zu sein, hat dem medizinischem Army-Team so ziemlich alles abverlangt. Das war wirklich superspannend, hier als Leser dabei zu sein. Für mich war das auch ein Ausflug in ein Land, von dem ich nicht so wirklich viel weiss, was mir sehr gut gefallen hat.
Die Autorin hat bereits mehrere andere historische Romane veröffentlicht, die alle zu den Zeiten des zweiten Weltkriegs spielen, und sie fokussiert sich immer auf starke Frauenpersönlichtkeiten. Ich kannte Ms Lane vorher nicht, das war jetzt mein erstes Buch von ihr, aber man merkt, sie kennt sich aus in Bezug auf diese Ära. Ich hatte den Eindruck, dass alles extrem gut historisch (und militärhistorisch) recherchiert war. Super interessant beschrieben.
Das Spannungslevel war sowieso permanent hoch. Die Autorin weiss den Leser zu fesseln. Es wird immer abwechselnd aus dem Leben und Fühlen von Dot, Vita und Evelyn erzählt, und die drei sind mir total ans Herz gewachsen. Ich habe völlig mit den Mädels mitgefühlt und gelitten, und natürlich auch gelacht. Neben dem Überlebenskampf in Albanien gab es auch frühliche Ereignisse, und natürlich auch eine Prise Romantik….es war alles dabei; das war grosses Kino.
Ich war begeistert, ich verteile 5 Sterne, und eine grosse Leseempfehlung! Und die Autorin werde ich mir merken!

Under a Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane is World War II Historical Fiction set in occupied Albania. Three American nurses and a group of medics plan to serve their country by caring for wounded soldiers during air transport. Their mission of nursing changes to fighting for survival after their plane crash lands. An unforgettable and harrowing tale based on the true story of the 807th Squadron’s escape from Albania during World War II. Ms. Lane’s latest book is full of action with realistic characters and excellent historical notes.
I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. I appreciate the opportunity and thank the author and publisher for allowing me to read, enjoy and review this book. 5 Stars

Under A Sky of Memories ⛑

Rating : ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Pub date : January 11th, 2022

“War took everything from me, but somehow it’s also given me something beautiful, too.”

What an absolutely incredible story of sacrifice, courage, friendship, love, selflessness, and resilience. The story starts off in Kentucky 1943, giving you a brief overview of 3 of the main characters lives. Evelyn, Dot & Vita. We soon learn what has driven them all to becoming apart of the 807th squadron.

Evelyn, lives at home with her widowed father who has never had the same “shine” since her mother passed. Evelyn is the woman of the house and cares for her father and two sisters. She wanted a break free from that kind of responsibility and wanted to do something of purpose with her life, even though leaving her father and sisters was one of the hardest thing she’d ever done.

Dot, lost her parents in a terrible accident. After becoming engaged and believing that she could still have the opportunity to have a new family with her soon to be husband Peter, he breaks off the engagement because he is in love with someone else. If that isn’t bad enough, the woman who she tried so hard to please, Peter’s mother, asks Dot what she did for her son to break off their engagement because her son would never behave that way.

Vita. Evelyn & Dot were immediately intimidated by Vita. They described her as a porcelain doll. On the train when everyone was sweltering and disheveled Vita looked perfectly put together and just had this confidence that neither one of them had. Vita’s parents tried arranging for a marriage for her that she did not want & even threatened to disown her if she went forward with becoming a volunteer nurse. After losing her brother in battle Vita has never been the same. Losing her older brother in such a courageous act encouraged her to do the same even if that meant that she wouldn’t have any family to come home to.

This gripping novel takes you, along with the these nurses, to places you would never even fathom. Even amidst some of the hardest of times the 807th squadron went through, they never lost hope.

I love this author books and this was no exception!! I loved the characters and the story was amazing!! Highly recommend!!

What a brilliant WW2 story.
This follows three friends, Dot, Evelyn and Vita who have trained to become nurses to help the wounded soldiers during the war.
They leave behind their families to begin their new life of which they are both frightened of the unknown and excited to be helping out. They have no idea of what lies in store for them. Their training did not fully prepare them for the 'real' war.
All three are flown with other nurses on a trial mission but their plane is brought down but fortunately were found by people who wanted to help them. They then found out they were in Albania!
Dot becomes separated from the other two and the story follows all three women. Lots of highs and lows to follow but the storyline does not fail to hook you in.
I found this a real page turner, eager to find out what will happen to all of them.
This is not only a story about the war but of friendship and romance. It's all in there.
Highly recommend.

Loved this WWII fiction that focused on Nurses during tthe war which quite frankly we need more of in historical fiction.

Under a Sky of Memories is an outstanding and heartfelt book about three nurses who served during WWII. Based on a true story, we follow Evelyn, Dot, and Vita through a harrowing ordeal when their plane crashes in a remote area of Albania. Author Soraya Lane does a great job, as always, finding an obscure moment in history and giving it a personal touch with characters who we truly care about. This is a book that once you start, you will not want to put down, completely captivated by the story and especially the people who live on the pages of this novel.

Wow! What an exciting, edge of your seat story. Based on true events, Under a Sky of Memories gives an account of three American nurses and their fight for survival behind enemy lines. Evelyn, Vita and Dot became fast friends at the beginning of their journey and I felt apart of their friendship and sisterhood. The story was fast-paced and I found myself holding my breath at times! I also found myself googling Albania, a country I don't think I have encountered in a WW2 story yet. Excellent read, I've added a few more Soraya M Lane books to my TBR!! Thank you NetGalley and Amazon Publishing UK for this advanced copy.

Set during WWII in America, Sicily and Albania, this is a fantastic historical fiction story based on true events which makes it all the more believable and compelling. Friendship, love, trust and hope are themes and the story is told from the perspectives of three very different American women, Evelyn, Vita and Dot. The vigorous physical training they went through as nurses and their arduous mission to transport wounded soldiers are absolutely fascinating and are told with a vibrancy which really makes the characters live and breathe. Their relationships with each other and with others, especially families and men they love, are brilliantly written. Lane's writing is simple but evocative and lovely. I love stories drawn from historical facts.

The women have no idea where life will take them and when...if...they will return home. What they encounter is astonishing, from a plane crash to starving to hiding to being hunted. Very well researched and cleverly told.

My favourite aspects are the unique flight transporting premise as well as the settings in Sicily (one of my favourite destinations) and the Albania experiences. Historical Fiction readers should definitely seek this out, well worth your time. Also a great Historical Fiction introduction book if you are contemplating trying it.

My sincere thank you to Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley for the privilege of reading this fabulously beautiful book.

Based on the GR average rating, I am in the minority on my opinion on this book. I give it a 3.5 stars. While it was an overall good story, it wasn’t quite what I expected after reading the synopsis, and I found myself having a hard time staying with it. I am not sure what the disconnect was for me but maybe I will pick it up and try it again at a later date.

This story follows three women in 1943 — Evelyn, Vita and Dot, who have agreed to go on a dangerous mission. After their plane goes down, leaving them in danger and without a lifeline, they begin their journey to try and reach help, while trudging through occupied Albania. They’re constantly having to try to stay one step ahead of the Germans and think quick and fast on their feet. Peril could be just around the corner.

Pub date is January 11, 2022. Again, I appear to be in the minority, so if the story line sounds interesting to you, I’d recommend picking it up and judging for yourself. It wasn’t that it was bad or not worth reading, it just wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.

Thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for the ARC!

This book is a master class on the ability to weave the horrors of war with the enduring hope of the human spirit. Soraya M. Lane exquisitely examines the often forgotten strength of ordinary women during the most arduous of times in history. This gut-wrenching tale will stay with you long after you read the final words.

I received a copy of this in exchange for an honest review. I know nothing about this part of WWII. This book was very well written and I loved getting to know the 3 nurses and what they went through. This is not your typical WWII book, it talks about Albania and how the war was in that country.

Under A Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane was based on the true and harrowing experiences of the 807th Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron (MAETS). Their terrifying ordeal was kept classified for decades after it first occurred. Soraya M. Lane was able to recount the details of their ordeal in this historical fiction story that was inspired by actual true historical events. Her research was impeccable. As in all of her previous books, and in this, her newest book, Soraya M. Lane’s primary characters were female, strong, determined and independent. Even the male characters were authentic and likable for the most part. Many of the actual occurrences that she incorporated in Under A Sky of Memories were written to closely resemble the real events or people. That included the vigorous training the nurses of the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron underwent, the actual crash of their plane, some of the villages in Albania and even the local partisans closely resembled the type of people they portrayed. Under A Sky of Memories was about three women nurses. Each was so different from the other but despite their differences they each forged beautiful friendships with the other.

Vita came from a privileged background. She was vivacious, always put together just so and fun. Vita had lost her older brother in the War and was determined to do her part for the war effort. Her mother, on the other hand, was set on having Vita marry the “right” boy. Vita wanted nothing to do with helping her mother carry out her plan so she ran away and trained to become a nurse for MAETS. Upon her leaving, her family threatened to cut her off from her inheritance. Dot was an insecure, shy and quiet young woman. Her close family members were all dead. She was all alone. She desperately wanted to fall in love and acquire a new family. She had thought she had found that person in Peter. His family felt that Dot was beneath them. As desperately as she tried, Dot could not win them over. Peter ended up breaking off their engagement the night before Dot left for her nursing training. Too embarrassed and heartbroken by Peter’s abandonment, Dot continued to wear his ring around her neck and pretended that she was still engaged. Evelyn had recently lost her own mother. She had stepped right into the role of mother and caretaker without hesitation. Her father was lost without her mother and her younger siblings needed her. She had no choice but to assume that role. Evelyn was best described as practical, determined, a motivator and a leader at times. She wanted to do something helpful for the war. When Evelyn told her father her plan he was proud of her and encouraged her to pursue her dreams. All three women met during their training to become nurses for MAETS. Although, they were from very different backgrounds, had personality traits that were so different from one another and decided to train to become a nurse in MAETS for different reasons, they ultimately became the best of friends.

Vita, Dot and Evelyn were all part of the 807th Squadron. Each one had been on several missions already to help transport badly injured servicemen to nearby hospitals with the help of their assigned medic and pilot. Rumors were spreading that the best nurses and medics were going to be chosen for a one of a kind mission. Instead of sending one nurse and a medic to attend to the most critical cases, twenty-six Army Air Force flight nurses and medics were going to be chosen to rescue a record breaking number of servicemen at one time. Despite all the careful planning and selections, no one had anticipated or had been aware of the severe weather headed their way, changes to codes needed for clearance or enemy planes in the area. With everything working against them, the plane was forced to crash land. All twenty-six nurses and medics plus the crew survived the crash. They had landed in Albania, an occupied country. Their ordeal was just about to begin.

Under A Sky of Memories was an exceptional work of historical fiction. It was an engrossing story that centered around strong women, friendship, hope, humanity, bravery, determination trust and even love. I had a hard time putting this book down. The characters were memorable and have stayed with me even after I finished reading their story. I knew nothing about the ordeal these brave women and men faced in Albania until I read this book. It is hard to imagine that those brave nurses, medics, pilot and crew were sworn to secrecy for so many years. They could not share the events of their ordeal with anyone. Soraya M. Lane has become one of my favorite authors and I eagerly await her next book. I highly recommend this book.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this advanced digital copy of Under A Sky of Memories by Soraya M. Lane through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.