I’ve read a lot of historical fiction books set around World War II, but I can’t think of one book I’ve read whose focus is the plight of woman Japanese prisoners of war. Based on true events, Sisters Under The Rising Sun is an astonishing story of sisterhood, bravery, friendship, and survival that will captivate readers. After the fall of Singapore to the Japanese, the ship that holds refugees and nurses of the Australian army is bombed and sinks, with few survivors. Norah, a musician, and Nesta are two of the captured prisoners. This is their story.

Morris does a fabulous job in allowing the reader to feel the character’s emotions. As the reader, you sense their fear, despair, grief, and their hate for their captors. My heart ached for the horrific conditions the prisoners faced. Fear of starvation, the heat, with such chronic overcrowding, poor sanitation was the norm, and dysentery and typhus flourished. They subjected the women to constant brutality from their captors. Despite the terrible conditions, the women showed great courage, resourcefulness, and determination.. This book is based on personal stories of real people, which makes it all the more emotive.

Reading the biographies of some of the main characters at the end made for an emotional read. Sisters Under The Rising Sun is beautifully written, with the most amazing characters. Despite the horrors within its pages, this is ultimately a story that’s about courage and resilience of women and their ferocious will to survive against the odds.

Another amazing tale from heather morris, this time the tale of survival of Australian nurses in an internment camp in occupied Malaysia. We’ll written and compelling

Ever since a friend convinced me to read The Tattooist Of Auschwitz I've eagerly awaited every new book by Heather Morris. Her books led to me expanding my reading into survivor stories and historical fiction.

I still rate The Tattooist Of Auschwitz and Three Sisters as the very best so I couldn't wait to read this.

Sisters Under The Rising Sun recounts the stories of British civilians and Australian nurses who after surviving the sinking of their evacuation ship were interred in Japanese POW camps. From an English European perspective I had much less awareness of these camps than of the Holocaust.

Starvation rations, tropical diseases, the blazing sun, monsoons and storms. The resilience, hope and determination of these women was incredible.

I was frequently moved to tears, this is a very moving book. Bleak, heart wrenching, yet life affirming as this sisterhood of survivors hang onto hope.

Heather Morris's research included time spent with close relatives of these women, while this distances it slightly compared to the first hand recollections retold in The Tattooist Of Auschwitz and Three Sisters, this is a vitally important account of that time and these lives.

If you loved The Tattooist Trilogy this book is a must, if you've never read any biographical historical survivor stories, this book will move you to tears and leave you in awe of these women's hope and determination.

Thanks to Bonnier Books UK, Zaffre

I find books based on true stories very difficult to review. Safe to say this is a harrowing account of the cruelty and despicable conditions in the prisoner of war camps for women captured by the Japanese soldiers in World War 2. I am at a loss to know how they had the strength of spirit to survive.