Wow, a real tour de force by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz and Chris Crabtree. When I first started reading the book I thought it was a real story about real people...and in a way it is, because it's based on real events and compilations of people involved in those events. But this book is one of the best historical fiction books I've read in a long time. Impeccably researched, beautifully written, it stayed with me long after I finished it.
It's the story of Sam Carlson and Sarah Haber, told both in parallel and woven together, Sam and Sarah grew up in a small town in Minnesota, which could be a small town anywhere. They are sweethearts, Sarah bound for college and Sam for the workforce, when the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor. Sam enlists and as a math wiz, Sarah is recruiting into a secret government program that listens in on Japanese radio traffic with the purpose of breaking their codes. Sam is sent to the Philippines, where he eventually survives the Bataan death march and a Japanese POW camp. When the Japanese are losing the war, they load hundreds of American prisoners onto boats to take them to Japan rather than have any witnesses to the brutality they have subjected the men to. Not signatories to the Geneva convention, the Japanese feel free to abuse the men, and ignore the rules of war. Traveling in a convoy of other ships without POWs, the Japanese deliberately fail to fly a flag indicating that their ship has POW's on it. Meanwhile, Sarah has broken a Japanese code that indicates a large convoy of Japanese ships heading from the Philippines to Japan. Becoming aware that there are POW's on at least one of the ships, top brass must decide what to do...decisions that could possibly save their own POW"s lives, but also give away that the Allies have broken Japanese codes. The books is mesmerizing, compelling and so well researched it could be history rather than fiction. Detailed notes at the end of the book tell us what's real and what's fiction (thank you to the authors for that!) and where to find more information. It's both a must read, and a 10 star book!

This heartbreaking, devastating tale of one man's harrowing journey during WWII needs to be read by all!! I'm still at a loss for words after finishing this novel. I am in tears over the suffering and the appalling treatment of human beings that transpired during this war. Most of this story was based on facts and true accounts. Some of the characters were fictional, but all of them were based off of real-life soldiers' experiences or what was surmised from war records. This particular story focuses on the US soldiers that were captured by the Japanese and stuffed into the cargo hold of a hell ship, resulting in the largest US naval "accident" in history. This book was well-written and captivating. It was also interesting to learn about something new that happened during the war. Most WWII novels that I've read typically share the same focus. This book was completely different. It was a truly unforgettable experience, and this book will stay with me for a long time. I feel honored to have been able to read it in remembrance of all those brave men who lost their lives. I highly recommend this book to everyone! It deserves to be read.

Thank you to Lake Union Publishing for granting me digital access via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review!

🤍 Book review 🤍

Hold Strong
A Novel
by Robert Dugoni; Jeff Langholz; Chris Crabtree

Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree is an unforgettable historical novel set during WWII, based on true events. The story follows Sam, a POW survivor of the Bataan Death March, and Sarah, a brilliant mathematician turned code breaker. Their lives tragically intersect when Sarah's mission involves Sam’s perilous situation on the Arisan Maru. This gripping novel showcases the resilience, courage, and sacrifices made during one of the darkest periods in history. With well-developed characters and a heart-wrenching yet inspiring plot, it’s a powerful read that brings the heroism of the time to life.

Very grateful to the publisher for my copy, opinions are my own

#HistoricalFiction #WWIINovel #BasedOnTrueEvents #RobertDugoni #BookReview #POWStory #WWIIHistory #WarAndLove #HistoricalReads #CodeBreaking #EpicNovel #PacificTheater #BookRecommendations #HoldStrong #LoveAndWar #BookCommunity #ReadersOfInstagram #BookLovers #Bookstagram

I love historical fiction & this book did not disappoint. Immediately you will fall in love with the characters, and be rooting for them. The look at the Pacific theater is not something I think you read about often. I appreciate the opportunity to learn about what happened and what our soldiers went through. It was devastating to read about & the decisions made by those in power. I would recommend this book & thank NetGalley for the ARC!

I really don't know how to review a book that was as impactful as Hold Strong was. I have always been intrigued by WW2 miniseries, such as The Pacific and Band of Brothers. I've always enjoyed learning about it and seeing it somehow come to life on the screen in front of me. While reading Hold Strong, the same thing happened in my mind. Though it was hard to read at times, due to the graphic details, this is one of the best books I have ever read. It was also my first by the author, and I intend to add Dugoni's books to my TBR. Solid 5 stars!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read this book for an honest review.

This is a story about love and war. A story of man’s inhumanity to man in the theater of the 2nd world war in the Pacific.
Sam and Sara come from small town America during the depression and they both have big dreams for their future. Sam enlists in the national guard in order to earn money to eventually marry Sara. Sara is a maths wizard and she can only think of going to university and coming back home to teach.. The world is at war and Sam is sent to the Philippines where their unit is overrun by the Japanese after the Pearl Harbor attack. Sam is taken prisoner and the terrible murderous torture at the hands of their Japanese guards begins .Sam is eventually reported missing and Sara decides to put her mathematic brain to good use and joins the code breaking team in her mind to so to help with Sam’s rescue from the Japanese. This is a riveting story of many heroes and heroines and of terrible decisions decoded by Sara’s team in an effort to end the war and release the prisoners of war from their often terrible fates.
This is a historical novel of epic proportions which affected a generation of young men and women in a war that was supposed to end all wars
5 stars

I'll admit this was the second time I tried to read a book by this author, and for the second time it didn't work.
I will not pinpoint negative reasons as to why this didn't work for me, especially because I genuinely don't think there is anything essentially wrong with this book. It just isn't for my taste. Maybe it's a *me* thing: I just cannot connect to Dugoni's writing.
But I'd recommend this book to anyone who has ever read a book by this author and enjoyed it.

This is another amazing book by this author and a departure away from thrillers to historical fiction but he is a master at that also . This is a poignant look at the atrocities of WWII but told in such a way that it keeps you engaged without being boring or stodgy but yet you will learn something about these brave men and women of the time .
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for letting me review the book

Hold Strong is something different from Robert Dugoni. Best known as a thriller writer this is a powerful and shocking piece of historical fiction set in WW2 and co-written with Jeff Langholz and Chris Crabtree that is truly eye-opening,not just with its depiction of Japanese atrocities but the cold,calculating decisions made by American "top brass" to keep its breaking of enemy codes secret.

The story tells of young lovers Sam and Sarah's war. Sam is sent to the Philippines while Sarah negotiates the prejudices of the day to find herself a ranking officer and secret code-breaker in Hawaii. The bulk of the book describes Sam's ordeal at the hands of his brutal Japanese captors,first during the infamous Bataan death march and later on one of the "Hell Ships" where brutality and sadism were the order of the day. This is a book that is often hard to read and an important one, Japan seems to feel almost insulted when it's bestial and depraved behaviour before and during the war is highlighted but it really should never be forgotten,and in parts of Asia has never been forgiven for reasons that readers of this book will understand.

A very well written book that will shock,inform , leave a lasting impression and not least bring one of the more callous and cold-blooded decisions of America's WW2 history to a wider audience.

over heels. But as WWII develops, Sam is sent to the Philippines, while Sarah is recruited as a code-breaker for her remarkable math skills. While Sam is taken prisoner and send to a POW camp, Sarah works her way up in the ranks, until one day, she receives a message she knows might well be the end of Sam. Assuming he is still alive of course. It took me longer than expected to read this book, and now I find myself at a loss for words. I've read too many books detailing horrible acts committed during period of war, but never did I have to stop reading to come to terms with what I just read, knowing that while I was reading a piece of fiction, those crimes were surely real. This time, I did have to stop. More than once. The accounts of atrocities committed in the POW camps, as well as later accounts of crimes committed by raiding Japanese parties in China, are nothing shy from gut-wrenching, yet I appreciate the authors including those stories, as they showcase what happens when we stop seeing each other as human. More than once, I found my heart racing to find out what would happen next. Despite the many horrendous chapters in Hold Strong, I found myself drawn back to it almost instantaneously, as there were so many moments that provided light and a happiness of sorts. Moments that made the characters so... "human". From Sarah struggling with the guilt of enjoying her life without knowing whether Sam is still alive, to Sam wishing on the Northern Star, from Chavez makinainaradihluhadinkon and lanaina for hin

Having read this author in the past, I was expecting a mystery/thriller. However, this book is a historical novel/romance. Although not my usual choice for reading, I read the book. It was a well written book with a good storyline. I’m glad I decided to go ahead and read it. This is a book which I would recommend to others.

Disclaimer: I want to thank Lake Union Publishing as well as NetGalley for providing me with an Arc of this book; please note that all opinions expressed are my own.

So I read Hold Strong by R. Dugoni, J. Langholz and C. Crabtree, over 2 weeks ago, and just am now feeling like I can form words around what I experienced, felt, tasted, smelled, and saw. This book is a historical fiction book based on very true events that happened during WWII. There are 2 main characters: Sam, who ends up being held as a POW by the Japanese, and Sarah, who not only goes to college (virtually unheard of in that time for a female) and receives a degree in mathematics. Sarah also works her way through the ranks with her extreme skill and ingenuity into being a fantastic code breaker for the Navy.

This book, and its writing was just so vivid, I felt like I was experiencing everything live. Yes, even in the Arisan Maru, when all of those thousands of men were crammed into the hold, I could taste it. I felt seasick and also was overwhelmed by the smells. I had to take a break and smell some fresh air outside to remind me I was not also in that hold!!

What our brave and courageous men and women did and went through for us all in World War II is nothing short of remarkable.

5 stars for this one, breathtaking, heartwarming, heartbreaking and redemptive

Wow. I'm speechless after finishing this book.

I was very excited to read it because I loved the author's previous book "The Extraordinary Life of Sam Hell." While this particular book didn't suck me in like Sam Hell did, it was a very good one.

First of all, it was surreal to read it because my husband and I are named Sarah and Sam and it was strange to read about the main characters and their love story. It made it a bit more personal in a weird way haha.

The pacing in the beginning was a bit slow and slightly boring. I kept setting my kindle down and not wanting to pick it back up to read it. But by the 45% mark, I didn't put it down at all until it was finished.

It starts with Sam getting on the ship, then flashes back to his hometown and the start of his love story with Sarah, then how he joined and ended up in the Philippines and how Sarah ended up serving as well. The depictions of war, the POW camps, war crimes, suffering, etc is VERY detailed raw and real. There was a few times I winced, teared up, got sick to my stomach, and gasped. It truly is not for the faint of heart. But necessary to read.

The love story took a backseat more so than I expected it would. And I was honestly a bit surprised at the ending (will their love survive the war or not?). The scars of war will change a love story, and this book shows that but also still shines hope on love's role in survival.

All in all, if you are a fan of military history, "Unbroken" type of stories, "The Pacific", then this is the book for you.

This book was FABULOUS. I couldn't put it down, I couldn't get off the couch, I couldn't finish my household chores, I was riveted.

The story flowed so amazingly, I was amazed at how much I didn't know about this part of WWII - it upset me that I didn't know, I read all the notes at the end of the book and I plan to GOOGLE more info today.

I also LOVED that the book didn't wrap up in a neat bow. I thought it was excellent that the characters realized that there was growing and healing to do and they had to take time.

Thank you for the opportunity to read this amazing book.

I have sat here trying to put into words how much this book moved me, and have failed over and over again.

The atrocities committed by the Germans in Europe in WWII are so well documented, but prior to reading this book I knew little about the horrific acts committed by the Japanese in the Pacific. I also never knew just how many of their own were killed by the Allies - and cannot imagine the inner turmoil of having to decide whether to knowingly torpedo a ship carrying US POWs in order to prevent even more people from dying at the hands of the Japanese.

Overall, an incredible and very well researched book. 4.5 out of 5 ⭐️

I have read a couple of other books by Robert Dugoni and I’ve always enjoyed them, so I was thrilled when I was approved to read an early release of this book.

Sam and Sarah grew as friends up in a small town but didn’t have easy lives. As WW2 approaches, Sam is called to war and sent overseas but is taken as a POW. The story bounces back and forth between the POW camp and Sarah who uses her math skills to work as a code-breaker during the war.

Admittedly, I know very little about the details of WW2 so this book was a bit out of my comfort zone. I am curious about that time in our history, but my knowledge of the subject is lacking. I was astounded that much of this story is based on true events. It’s hard to think that humans were treated this poorly.

This story is heart-wrenching as it talks about the men in various POW camps. It’s admirable to read about the tenacity of those going through such horrific events. This story also gives the perspective of being an outsider and worrying/wondering about your loved one who is missing in action as Sarah worries about the whereabouts of Sam. It’s hard not knowing what has happened, or if they’re alive or dead. She has to live with the guilt of being alive, but also the feeling of being unable to help. She works her way up the ranks and finds a way to help the war through code-breaking. This is another aspect of WW2 I never thought of before.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who values reading stories of WW2 and the various ways it impacts people. Some of the scenes are hard to stomach due to the cruelty. I’m kind of a softy so I might be more sensitive to it than most.

Thank you Netgalley and Lake Union Publishing for allowing me to read this book early for an honest review.

"That is an imperialistic document which the Empire of Japan did not ratify and therefore has no legal binding. You will be treated as rats, vermin, inferior and unworthy of respect or humane treatment."

In an attempt to learn more about parts of WWII I know little about, I was on the lookout for books set in Asia. Now, while I have yet to read any of them, several of Dugoni's books are sitting on my shelf of shame, as I'd been recommended them over and over again, so to find this collaboration with Jeff Langholz and Chris Crabtree writing a piece of historical fiction about the "Hell Ships" carrying POWs captured by the Japanese in WWII, something I had never heard anything about before, seemed like a stroke of luck.

Hold Strong is tell the story of two young Americans: Sam Carlson and Sarah Haber. Sam and Sarah, grow up in a small town in Minnesota and while life hasn't always been easy for them, they have found each other and fallen head over heels. But as WWII develops, Sam is sent to the Philippines, while Sarah is recruited as a code-breaker for her remarkable math skills. While Sam is taken prisoner and send to a POW camp, Sarah works her way up in the ranks, until one day, she receives a message she knows might well be the end of Sam. Assuming he is still alive of course.

It took me longer than expected to read this book, and now I find myself at a loss for words. I've read too many books detailing horrible acts committed during period of war, but never did I have to stop reading to come to terms with what I just read, knowing that while I was reading a piece of fiction, those crimes were surely real. This time, I did have to stop. More than once. The accounts of atrocities committed in the POW camps, as well as later accounts of crimes committed by raiding Japanese parties in China, are nothing shy from gut-wrenching, yet I appreciate the authors including those stories, as they showcase what happens when we stop seeing each other as human. More than once, I found my heart racing to find out what would happen next.

Despite the many horrendous chapters in Hold Strong, I found myself drawn back to it almost instantaneously, as there were so many moments that provided light and a happiness of sorts. Moments that made the characters so... "human". From Sarah struggling with the guilt of enjoying her life without knowing whether Sam is still alive, to Sam wishing on the Northern Star, from Chavez making incredibly bad jokes and longing for his Hula girl to Padre Tom giving his little extra and bringing hope in the darkest of moments.

I think Hold Strong is a story that everyone should read to learn more about the POW camps in Asia, as well as the Hell Ships and the female code breakers, and the role they each played in the (US involvement in) WWII. But readers beware, make sure you have the headspace for this emotional heavy-weight. And if you need it, remember Qiu Jin's words: "A mind is like a movie projector. You can turn on and off. You choose which movies to watch. If you don't like a movie, you shut if off. Show only the good ones. Watch them again and again."

A huge thank you to NetGalley and Lake Union Publishing for gifting me an eARC of this book in return for an impartial review. All thoughts and comments are my own.

Another incredibly emotional story from Robert Dugoni that the reader will not be able to put down. Not the usual WWII novel!

I was given this book by NetGalley for an honest review
Dugoni writes another winner! What a great book!
Sams family lost their farm and had very little money, Sam ran the projector at the movie house and often his girlfriend Sarah joined him,—-until Pearl Harbor — Sam is off to war and captured as a POW. Sarah decides she wants to do more in the fight against the war than teaching so she heads to Washington and begins code breaking. Follow along in the lives of these two struggling with life during the war when everything is so different. Will they find the life they dreamed of after the war?

Dugoni is one of the brightest and best crime fiction writers of our time! He delivers a pulse-pounding mystery thriller with this endeavor.

It’s packed with detail and attitude, this is a not to be missed reading. Beyond Reasonable Doubt is filled with rich characterization and exceptional drama.

Courtroom dialogue at its best, with a neat closing argument! Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the amazing early copy.