I have really mixed feelings about this one - I really didn’t enjoy it as much as Heather Morris’ other titles.
The novel follows the harrowing experiences of Norah and James Chambers after they are forced to send their daughter Sally to safety without them when Singapore is seized by Japanese soldiers.
When the ship they are attempting to leave on is bombed they are subsequently held as prisoners of war.
The novel also follows the harrowing experiences of a group of nurses also in the camps.
There is heavy focus on sisterhood and compassion throughout and it is clear that a lot of research has gone into the novel.
However for some reason I found it really boring and was unable to connect or care about any of the characters.
Such a contrast to how infect when reading Heather Morris’ previous books.
Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this one I did enjoy some aspects of it but feel I must be honest in my review

Sister under the Rising Sun is the first of Heather Morris's books which I have read, and I really enjoyed the different experience it shone a light on. There are so many WWII books about that I was a little worried that this wouldn't be unique, but I was wrong. I had no previous knowledge of those who were taken POW when Japan declared war, and yet their experiences definitely deserve to have this light shone on them,

The reason I haven't given it five stars is because I did feel there was quite a lot of telling, which made it difficult to connect with the main characters, and I must admit that despite the emotional storyline, I didn't feel completely invested. However, the scale and scope of the novel still made an impact on me.

I would recommend this book to anyone who has an interest in WWII as it really is a fascinating new perspective. Furthermore, the title 'sisters under the rising sun' is a little misleading, it's actually far broader than that as - although there are two sisters - it's actually more of a sisterhood, which was my favourite aspect of the novel.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an arc of this great book.

I have seen the different countries covers for this book and I love them all though my favourite has to be the UK one. I think it will do its job of drawing your eye yo it on a bookstore shelf perfectly. The only negative and it's my own personal pet peeve is the circular sticker/label/logo stating the book is by the same author who wrote The Tattooist of Auschwitz.

I need to mention the title of the book Sisters Under The Rising Sun, at first I thought 'Sisters' referred to the nuns, then thought it applicable to the nurses, by the end of the book I cam to realise it referred to all the women in the prison camp. They may have started out in their own groups, the nuns, he Dutch women, the native women, the nurses, the well off civilians, and the everyday civilians but they all ended up 'sisters' surviving together. Their very lives depending on the support from each other.

The book is set in the midst of WWII, Norah is an English woman who finds her only option to possibly secure the safety of her eight-year-old daughter Sally before Singapore falls under the Japanese army control is to place her in the arms of her older sister Barabara and send on a ship leaving Singapore. Norah promises little Sally that once her father John is able to leave hospital they will get on a boat and come straight for her.
Days later Norah, her husband John, who is still weak from suffering from typhus find themselves boarding a ship, the Vyner Brooke to flee Singapoore with her reluctant sister Ena who is leaving her husband Ken to care for their elderly parents. Also reluctantly leaving and boarding the Vyner Brooke are Australian nurses, amongst them Nesta James. After one last appeal to stay to care for the injured Allied soldiers in the hospital Nesta and her nurse colleagues are ordered to board the ship. The ship is crammed full and conditions are poor but the Australian nurses tend to anyone they feel they can help be they injured or just scared.
Just two days later, they are bombarded from the air off the coast of Indonesia. The order to abandon ship is given and once again it's the Australian nurses that jump into action helping people leave the ship. Once everyone has abandoned ship it's not long until the Vyner Brooke has sunk.
Different groups of survivors make their way to land by whatever means they can, holding onto each other or debris from the ship. There are the many different tales of how the Vyner Brooke survivors managed to get to shore, for example
Norah, Ena, John & little a 5 yr old June who has lost her mummy but has rapidly become attached to Ena. They end up briefly rescued by the RAF in a speedboat but are swiftly dropped at shore and handed over to and now at the mercy of the Japanese.

Once on land the different groups soon find themselves either handed over or captured by the Japanese. Initially men and women are together in there family/friend groups. Others have lost family either temporarily or permanently and are making new connections with those around them. They are all marched to the first of many camps where they meet other survivors who are now also prisoners at the mercy of the Japanese. Upon arrival at the camp the huts are allocated, with the Australian Nurses kept together but in different huts to the other survivors. At the camp though the men and women are separated they freely mix with each other during the day. Some of nurses explore the compound & return with the information that theres a dormitory that's suitable to be used as a hospital and has some Doctors already there. The nurses have of course immediately volunteered for duty there. One of the Doctors volunteers to speak to the Japanese soldiers about food, water & medical supplies.
Two women, Margaret Dryburgh and Mrs Hinch who were already at the first camp were already in the positions of 'command' and had the dubious and dangerous task of being I intermediaries between the women and the Male Ah Fat Japanese male who was to be the one who acted as interpreter between the women and the various camp commandants. It is Margaret Dryburgh who sorts those that were shipwrecked with suitable clothing.
Soon enough the men and women are sent to different camps, the heart break of being separated from loved ones only adding to the harsh reality of being prisoners of war and no longer in charge of their own lives. The women soon find theres little else they can do but to find ways yo get on with it. If that means carrying buckets of water from a nearby stream or growing vegestables when allowed go do so by the commander, then the women do it. Of course all the camps were places of starvation, brutality as well as death from disease. Complaints are met with violence, one day you are allowed to grow food and eat it, another day you can grow the food but it is for the soldiers and another day you aren't allowed to grow anything. Punishments were harsh, such as being forced to stand all day in the blazing sun, food taken from the whole camp, in fact a beating was a lesser punishment on some occasions.These women were living life by the whim of whichever commander was in charge of the camp they were in. It's no surprise morale was seriously low and that when Norah, a trained musician came up with the idea to create a voice orchestra. Not only did it give the women who wished to be part of it something to do, something to enjoy and look forward to, it also lifted the morale of all the other women too.

Though I confess to knowing very little the little bit I knew about Japanese Prisoner of War Camps it was based on the views of people older than myself, a partial episode of Tenko I watched many years ago, and perhaps a brief reference in books I have read. This is one aspect of World War 2 that is not taught, spoken or in my experience even referred to at school. I went through a whole range of emotions and feelings reading the book. There was the horror and disgust at how the women had to survive, from a heart wrenching revelation of few of the Australian nurses sacrificing their bodies for the 'use' of the Japanese soldiers for greater good of the many, as if no one stepped forward the whole camp would be starved to death. Then the dirt, squalor and uncertainty the women existed in. I think the voice orchestra provided not only something to pass time but something to nurture hope, an outlet for some defiance singing anthems including Land of Hope and Glory as well as evidence there was still some beauty left in the world.
Throughout the book different characters notice that close up most of the Japanese soldiers look like frightened boys, however though this suggests a human perhaps softer side they are quick to jump to attention and carry out orders, as well as regularly beating the prisoners. The way the soldiers and even the commander enjoys the women’s music and concerts also suggests a softer, homesick, civilian side to the Japanese soldiers. I think the women humanised the Japanese guards by giving them nicknames, such as grumpy to one who became incensed if he ever saw any of the women wearing lipstick! Or seedling, for the guard who brought the seeds, and seedlings for the women to plant in the vegetable patch that they were sometimes allowed to use produce from.
Another scene in the book is when Ah Fat becomes upset at the death of one of the women which gives you mixed feelings as on one hand you think oh he has got a heart but then on the other hand you are thinking perhaps he could have prevented her death or at least eased the women’s living conditions.
My immediate thoughts upon finishing the book were, that the book was amazing, so moving, and strangely interesting how the book says the women seemed to fair better than the men. A fantastic story telling of a group of women who bonded and banded together in unimaginable situations and conditions. How they lifted each other, gave each other hope and love. Not forgetting how brave they were to face every uncertain day.

Summing up, another must read book from Heather Morris based on true events that happened during WW2 an awful time in history. This time it is the story of those who find themselves in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp. Sisters Under The Rising Sun is an a story of the amazing bravery, friendship and resilience people seem to find and hold onto in the very deepest darkest of circumstances. Though this book is a fantastic read it should never be forgotten these were real people, some survived and came home to continue their lives, others never made it home from the camps.

DNF
I sadly cannot finish this book and so will not rate it (will give 3 stars as a middle value). I adored this author's previous books and was sp excited for this one, however it was so badly written that I couldn't continue. I don't understand how the author's writing can go from some of the best and most emotional I've ever read, to this which I cannot continue.

This is a harrowing story of women and children captured by the Japanese during WW2 and the bravery and resilience of the women ,especially the Australian Nurses .It reminded me of the TV series Tenko but the story was based on real people which makes it even more special .Many thanks to NetGalley for my ARC .

I love Heather Morris, and this book did not disappoint. I have read lots of WW2 fiction, however this is the first I have read set in Japan. I hadn’t even realised until this that there were Australian nurses there and have never considered the POW camps there. Although a work of fiction, found this book very informative.
I loved the bond that the women in the camp formed, and how they kept each other going. It made the book very strong and powerful. I thought this book focused more on the friendship and ‘camp life’ than the authors other books, rather than the war.

Another very moving story from WWII. Harrowing as one would expect and it's amazing how people survive these conditions. I think I'm probably ready for a break from these books as I have read several recently but I do think they are important. We should never forget and these stories being highly personal really bring the message home

A very moving story about the horrors experienced in Japanese POW camps. The story here is how a group of Singapore ladies, including a large number of Australian nurses, ended up in one of these camps and their experiences of surviving them. Based on extensive research including eyewitness testimony, the core message is one of sisterhood and banding together so tightly that adversity can’t truly harm you. There are several moments where you will need a box of hankies on standby as diseases do sweep through the camps.

One area that could have been improved was the descriptions of each of the camps that the ladies stayed in - apart from being in the jungle and very hot, I didn’t get a sense for how big their shelters were, how many stories, etc. which made it harder to visualise where they were (unlike say something set in Nazi Germany POW camps). A map would also have been a useful addition for those of use whose geography of the islands around Singapore is a little shaky.

Given some of the events, the historical postscript was most welcome to explain that a measure of justice was meted out to those Japanese soldiers involved in the atrocities and the bad treatment in the camps.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

For the first half of this story I was fooled into thinking it wasn’t anywhere near as harrowing as The Tattooist. Foolish me.
I remember watching the TV series Tenko, and thinking at the time that the conditions in the Japanese prison camps were appalling. I also remember admiring the tenacity and spirit of the female inmates who did what they needed to do to survive.
What this story has in addition to that is a sense of family and a spirit of togetherness; there’s compassion amongst the women, rather that conflict.
Despite its subject matter, this is a touching story of hope and optimism. Have your tissues handy.
Thank you to NetGalley and Bonnier Books U.K. for the chance to read an ARC.

A harrowing story of a group of women and children taken prisoner by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in WW2. The group included quite a number of Australian nurses who were instrumental in looking after the health of the other prisoners and generally raising their spirits during their time in the camps which lasted for over three years. There were also several other women who were determined not to be ground down by the dreadful conditions in the camps and who organised concerts and other activities. This book is based on true stories and the author gives an update at the end of the book of what happened to the women after the war.

Heather Morris received huge praise for her work, The Tattooist of Auschwitz. It was championed for its message of hope and love in a time of terrible tragedy, and in my view she handled it beautifully. I remember though being surprised at the time by several reviews saying that it read like a screenplay - which I believe it has since actually been optioned for - and that pulled some readers out of the story. I couldn’t relate then; I adored the book. But I can see that problem here in Sisters Under The Rising Sun.

It’s apparent that this story is about sisterhood, hope and putting your compassion ahead of your own personal need. I adore the message, and I really appreciate that we’ve crossed the pond into Asian waters, allowing a light to be shed on other people who were suffering during WWII; all too often stories are shared only from the position of white people or set within Auschwitz, as though nobody else was as affected or tortured. This is still important - those stories need sharing - but it’s great to see an author making it possible for more truths to be told from other perspectives too.

The trouble is, this felt so incredibly stilted. It reads exactly as though it was written for a potential director to review for television. Each sentence feels short and crafted for what you can see, longingly in the distance, rather than as though you know these characters and feel their emotions through the page. That seems an almost inconceivable failing when the book should be (and the reality is) emotionally fraught and terribly moving.

So this didn’t work for me, but I really appreciate what Heather Morris will do here for those voices deserving of being heard as well.

ARC provided from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

After reading Heather Morris’ previous novels I was excited to get a copy of her new novel Sisters under the rising sun.
Based on true facts this is the story of Women British, Australian and Dutch women who were imprison by the Japanese in WW11. On the 12th of February 1942, the last ship of evacuees SS Vyner Brooke which contained women and children and Australian nurses sunk after it was bombed and attacked by enemy aircraft. The 150 survivors made it to Banka Island but then was captured by the Japanese and imprisoned for 3 and a half years.
This is a harrowing story of them women and the conditions that they were kept in and the resilience of the women that were interned there.
I thank Bonnier for a copy of Sisters of the Rising Son. This is another beautifully written and inspiring account of what happened under Japanese rule. I highly recommend this. 5 stars from me.

Will return to post review on pub day when posting to socials ✨ thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for my advanced copy!

I enjoyed the story as this piece of history is something I know very little about when it comes to WWII.

However, the writing style of the story is so stilted, it felt like a Stop-and-Go. We would jump from scene to scene so much that it felt like I was reading snippets or excerpts from a book rather than a full-written novel.

I think I am in the minority here because I have never read The Tattooist of Auschwitz. I’m not sure why, it’s just one of those books I always pick up and put down again. This book, however, I’m glad I picked up and carried on reading. Initially quite confusing as so many characters were introduced, but I was soon hooked on this unique story set in Japanese POW camps. Highly recommend.

Thank you Net Galley and the publisher for my ARC

Danger - don't read this on public transport! During the last few pages I was constantly in tears and had to hurriedly switch to a different book on my Kindle.

Heather Morris is rectifying a wrong: giving us the names of Australian nurses who volunteered to care for Allied forces. Some of them were killed in cold blood by their Japanese captors. Others survived three years and seven months of near starvation and brutality in Japanese POW camps.

The diminutive Nurse Nesta James provided inspirational leadership to her team of nurses, putting herself between them and the brutal soldiers on occasion.

Morris's research also led her to some remarkable British women in the same camps, whose lives were intertwined with the nurses. Norah Chambers and her sister Ena find themselves separated from their husbands, and in Norah's case, her young daughter, sent away on an earlier ship to flee Singapore. Ena found herself caring for a young girl, June, whose mother had been killed.

Along with Margaret Dryburgh, Norah, a talented musician, helped keep morale high by getting the captives singing. Their concerts were so popular they were attended by Japanese senior officers. Norah created a voice orchestra, tackling difficult scores by Ravel and Beethoven, and writing them on tiny scraps of paper.

The last few months of captivity took a heavy toll. The women were often moved to different camps in awful conditions on ships. Many died of starvation and fever: 76 in all. During their captivity the women had to deal with flooding latrines, torrential rain, burning hot sun. When food was being severely rationed, they were given seeds to grow vegetables but weren't allowed to eat them.

They had to bury their friends and put makeshift wooden crosses and mounds of flowers on the graves, equipped with just two machetes to dig the rock hard ground.

When liberation finally arrived, the nurses received a heroes' welcome when they arrived in Australia. By contrast there was no acknowledgement or welcome for the British women, who returned home on the same troopship as servicemen. Relatives were not told not to meet the ship when it docked.

A remarkable book. This sisterhood will live on in my memory.

I was fascinated by the events in 'Sisters under the Rising Sun' - a war tale that I was not familiar with. The Australian nurses were so dedicated to their jobs and it is a tragedy that so many lost their lives in the initial attack on their ship. The mind boggles as to how many women and children did eventually survive the war in such difficult and harsh conditions in a Japanese Prisoner of War Camp.

Heather Morris has researched this well and I am a big fan - her other books are similarly well researched.

I adore Heather's previous novels: The Tattooist of Auschwitz, Cilka's Journey, and Three Sisters (otherwise known as the Auschwitz trilogy), plus her non-fiction book Stories of Hope. I think she is such a fabulous storyteller and so sensitive and warming.

This is slightly different to the Auschwitz trilogy. It is still set in the war, and it is still about families and strangers in dangerous times, trying to survive, but it's not set in the familiar surroundings of Auschwitz. We've travelled to the East to see how the war affected them, and I was really excited to see how Heather told their story.

It has a completely different tone to the Auschwitz series. It's hard to explain. Obviously it's still about the war and the horrors and torture and starvation etc. But the Auschwitz stories felt more...I don't want to say relatable because of course it isn't, but maybe more familiar, we all have some knowledge of what happened in those camps. Whereas this one was so shocking to me that I felt it was more heart twisting and heart-breaking because it was so raw and violent.

It is as full on and brutal as I've come to expect from her books. There's no dilly-dallying, it goes straight into the action and we're immediately bombarded with fear and injury and panic, and it really is very moving. It holds onto your heart strings from the off and doesn't let you go throughout.

What Heather has managed to do here, similarly to her previous books, is to find the joy and hope amongst the horror. No-one can say these people didn't endure some of the most horrific of circumstances at the hand of the enemy, whether it be in Auschwitz or otherwise, and it might have been incredibly difficult to find any sort of hope amongst their situation. But she's found it. And it's obvious that this is what helped the prisoners get through day to day. To hope it was one day closer to freedom. It also shows the importance of music. Music can heal so many mental and emotional ills, but we tend to take it for granted, some sort of hobby rather than something vital to our survival.

What I love about Heather' books is, not only are they good reading, they are informative. I knew nothing about the goings on in the East before I read this. These are things not taught at schools, and even if we're rapidly galloping towards a century since WW2, it's vital we remember all the atrocities and all the victims. The sheer amount of research she would have had to do in this book, on the punishments, the Prisoner of War camps, the nurses, the names, the history...everything is based on truth, and to find a way to include it all without it feeling bogged down is genius. Sadly I'm sure there are thousands of stories like this one, but I'm sure coping that Heather will continue to tell them.

Unsurprisingly, for such a moving book, I found myself reading it through tears. It is so sensitively written, it's like Heather knows and loves and cares for these characters as if they were her kin. I cried out of sadness, out of anger, and out of joy, because there are rays of sunshine, you just have to look for it.

Again, I love that Heather has added the true biographies of some of these women at the end of the book. It really brings them to life and reminds us that, whilst this may be a piece of fictional entertainment, these women were very real and they went through very real atrocities, and I think it's a beautiful touch that Heather has given thanks to each and every one of them.

Just over four decades ago, a joint collaboration between the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the BBC, brought a TV drama to our screens called Tenko. It was about the experiences of British, Australian and Dutch women who were captured and interned by the Japanese after the fall of Singapore in February 1942. The TV series lasted about as long as the internment. The experience of series consultant the late Margaret Henderson Thomson MBE mirrors those of the chief characters in Sisters under the Rising Sun. Other than the capture and the final release of the women when the Japanese surrender, the majority of the book deals with life in the camps. A life of boredom, starvation, disease and death but with golden moments when music lifted the spirits of those wretched souls living in such desperate circumstances. The book is very well researched from numerous sources. I judge the book purely on its historical authenticity and in imparting to the reader what the internees endured.

Sisters Under the Rising Sun tells the story of Norah and Nesta and the incredible women and children who endured the Japanese Prisoner of War camps during World War II. I will forever be in awe of these women's courage, kindness and compassion. As with all of Heather Morris' books, I couldn't put it down and would highly recommend.

Thank you to Heather Morris,  NetGalley, and the publishers for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication date: 28th September 2023.