This book, as with my other historical novels, is a work of fiction, but of course everything is based on real-life events. The real women who served as nurses in Pearl Harbor had no idea that their idyllic time on the island would come to such an abrupt, and horrific, end. The months leading up to the attack were picture perfect, and they felt so safe in Hawaii, but their lives were truly turned upside down. While most of those nurses went on to serve in the Pacific, some went to North Africa, and that’s where I chose to set the second half of my story.
North Africa was the one place no one wanted to be sent, and there were many derogatory nicknames for being placed there. It was known for being too hot and full of insects, with terrible conditions for nurses and soldiers alike. But it was the perfect place to explore for this novel, to show how women coped with being sent there. Once again, I tried to show ordinary women doing extraordinary things, and I hope I did the real nurses who served there justice. I am full of admiration for every single woman who served in any capacity during the war; I honestly can’t believe what they did and what they endured. This is especially incredible because in the 1940s, women were expected to do little more than be homemakers, and yet women stepped up to do anything and everything during the war!
If you haven’t already, I’d love for you to read my other historical fiction novels, which are all about strong, inspirational women—true feminists before their time. I love to hear from readers—it’s the best part of my job—so please do send me a message or post a review (yes, I read them all!). You can find out more about me, and my writing, at sorayalane.com.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Photo © 2019 Martin Hunter
Soraya M. Lane earned a law degree before realizing that law wasn’t the career for her and that her future was in writing. She is now the author of historical and contemporary women’s fiction, and her novel Wives of War is an Amazon Charts bestseller. Lane lives on a small farm in her native New Zealand with her husband, their two young sons, and a collection of four-legged friends. When she’s not writing, she loves to be outside playing make-believe with her children or snuggled up inside reading. For more information about Soraya and her books, visit www.sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Twitter @Soraya_Lane.
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