Published by Lake Union Publishing Genres: Historical Fiction, History, War
Format: ARC, eBook
Heartbreaking, gripping, thought provoking, and tense, Hold Strong is based on real events which occurred during WWII. This book shows not only the horrors of war, but it also shows bravery, courage, and sacrifice. I struggled initially with this book initially but by the 50% mark, I was fully invested, moved, and in awe at the amount of research that went into the writing of Hold Strong. I love books that are about real events and show ordinary people placed in extraordinary situations. I also love books that not only teach me something new but evoke emotion and Hold Strong did that and then some.
Sam Carlson and Sarah Haber were high school sweethearts. After Japan bombed Pearl Harbor, Sam was sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. While Sarah is recruited to Washington where her math skills will be used in code breaking. Sam is brutalized and beaten yet survives the Bataan Death March and becomes one of the men who became prisoners on the Japanese ship Arisan Maru.
Whew! I found myself thinking about this book long after I finished it. There is so much about WWII that I was not taught in school; the Japanese prisoner hell ships being one of the things about the war I did not know. I learned even more by reading the author’s note at the end. DO NOT MISS THIS SECTION – it is a must read!
This book shows the horrors of war, the barbaric treatment of POW’s and the triumph of the human spirit. I could not help but feel for the characters, the situations in which they were in, the decisions that they had to make, and the suffering that many endured.
Wonderfully written, heartbreaking, vividly detailed, well thought out, and inspired by true events.
Thank you to Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
