De Tweede Wereldoorlog brengt zes reddende engelen samen. Opmerkelijke jonge verpleegsters, die de uitdagingen van oorlog en het vele liefdesverdriet als onbezongen helden het hoofd bieden.
Audrey Parkers leven verandert voorgoed wanneer op 7 december 1941 Pearl Harbor wordt aangevallen, waar haar getalenteerde broer als marinepiloot gestationeerd was. Gedreven om haar steentje bij te dragen, besluit ze samen met haar vriendin Lizzie het leger te dienen en begint ze een nieuw avontuur als verpleegster.
Terwijl Audrey en Lizzie dagelijks hun leven wagen in gevaarlijke missies, sluiten ze zich aan bij het prestigieuze Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron en vliegen ze regelmatig naar vijandelijk gebied om gewonde soldaten te helpen. Tijdens hun reis ontmoeten ze een opmerkelijke groep Alex, die een diepe wens heeft om de wereld te veranderen; Louise, een briljante geest die met raciale vooroordelen in het zuiden is opgegroeid; Pru, een onzelfzuchtige leider met een gouden hart; en Emma, wier vastberadenheid en zelfvertrouwen haar aansporen tot buitengewone toewijding aan haar patiënten.
Hoewel ze beseffen dat ze nooit hoge rangen zullen bereiken, of veel loon, zullen deze reddende engelen alles geven in hun strijd voor vrijheid.
Danielle Steel has been hailed as one of the world's bestselling authors, with almost a billion copies of her novels sold. Her many international bestsellers include All That Glitters, Royal, Daddy's Girls, The Wedding Dress, The Numbers Game, Moral Compass, Spy, and other highly acclaimed novels. She is also the author of His Bright Light, the story of her son Nick Traina's life and death; A Gift of Hope, a memoir of her work with the homeless; Expect a Miracle, a book of her favorite quotations for inspiration and comfort; Pure Joy, about the dogs she and her family have loved; and the children's books Pretty Minnie in Paris and Pretty Minnie in Hollywood.
This is a WWII Historical Fiction that follows several women that work as Nurses in the war. I have to say I loved the storyline, and this book is so touching. I did have a hard time bonding with the characters of this book because the writing style in this book. I wanted to loved the characters more, but I have to say by the end I came to care a lot for the characters. This book storyline really show how hard and brave the nurses was on the frontline helped was. This books writing style made me feel I was there with the nurses flying in those planes to get the hurt men back safety. This book also helped us see how different black people where treated in England vs American during that time. I have to say as an American I am sadden by that fact, but we have to keep being better. I received an ARC of this book. This review is my own honest opinion about the book like all my reviews are.
Back in the 80's and 90's I read and loved all Danielle Steel's books. Unfortunately this one didn't measure up. I picked it up because of the subject matter. Love anything to do with the wars and I haven't read a lot about the American side of it. This could have been a great story. The nurses of the Evac section of the war were brave women and I enjoyed learning about what they did. The characters were too much for me. They were all extremely beautiful and never did anything wrong. Too perfect. The men who came into their lives were much the same. It was all a bit saccharin sweet. There was also too much show and not tell. I feel I only got the outline of each character and not the dept. I'm done now with this author's books.
It’s book review time. I wanted to step outside my comfort zone this month, but I wanted something safe. Something that was bound to be decent at least. So, I went with Danielle Steel’s new book, Flying Angels. It was released on November 23rd from Delacorte Press (an imprint of Random House). As usual, I must thank them and NetGalley for allowing me access to an ARC in exchange for an honest and unbiased review. So, let’s do the thing.
Flying Angels follows a group of young women who end up becoming nurses in the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron during World War II. They come from all walks of life and have encountered various struggles along the way, but in the war, they’re all the same. They’re just nurses trying to keep the young men from the frontlines and themselves alive. Death doesn’t discriminate. They all have to learn that one way or another.
So, I thought I was safe with a Danielle Steel novel. She’s a prolific writer with fans all over the world. She must be good, right? There must be a reason she’s so popular, right? Even if the genre isn’t my usual cup of tea, at least the writing must be passable, right? Wrong. I was wrong on all counts. And the sad part is, I probably really would’ve liked the book if it didn’t read like an outline of a story. I know it’s hard to balance showing and telling, but this book was ninety percent telling. Personally, I hate that. There’s nothing inherently wrong with it, but I’m not a fan. You can tell me a hundred times how selfless and wonderful a person is, but if you don’t show me, I just don’t care.
Speaking of selfless and wonderful, no one in this entire book had flaws except inconsequential rich people. They were just there to show how much better their daughters were than them. I mean, we’re told the characters grow and are changed by the end, but how? They were perfect to begin with, so they had nothing to learn. Even the deaths of family and friends can’t make these people bitter or angry. It’s friggin’ annoying. Like, I know they aren’t real people in the first place, but I at least want characters who have human qualities.
Also, I despise third person omniscient POVs. They’re rarely done well and the narrator hops around people’s thoughts and feelings until everything becomes muddled. It’s especially confusing when most of the characters are she/her. Learn to use names or at least change paragraphs when you’re hopping around people’s heads. I know this is just a pet peeve of mine. Some people really like this POV. I’d rather be closer to the main characters.
Aside from everything else I hated about this book, the writing was repetitive and bland. In the first twenty pages, the same five tidbits were repeated at least fifty times each. It could’ve been edited down to three pages and still conveyed the exact same message. Better yet, there could’ve been a few scenes showing me these things instead of just telling me. But enough ranting.
Ultimately, I hated Flying Angels. I loved the premise, but the execution was horrible. If I never read another Danielle Steel book in my life, I won’t care. Maybe her other books are better. Maybe this was an anomaly. Don’t know and don’t care. People like her. I’m just not one of them.
Overall, I gave it 1 out of 5 stars. Mostly because you can’t give zero star ratings on most websites. If you are a fan, by all means read it. Enjoy what you enjoy. If you’re not already a fan, maybe try something else by her first.
Four and a half Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭒ Flying Angels by Danielle Steel is one of my favorite books of hers that I’ve read. I realize there is an abundance of books about WWII out there now, but this is a bit different and more uplifting and optimistic than many of them. Yes, it’s wartime, and tragedy is part of the book, but these Flying Angels are true heroes and their story is amazing and uplifting.
Audrey Parker goes to nursing school to learn to care for her mother who has Parkinson’s disease. Her brother Will, graduates from Annapolis and becomes a Navy fighter pilot. When the war breaks out, Will gets assigned to Honolulu and gets killed at the attack on Pearl Harbor. Lizzy, a friend Audrey met in nursing school had fallen in love with Will, and is devastated by his death as are Audrey and her mother. Lizzy decides to enlist in the Army as a nurse and meets Alex, the daughter of New York aristocrats. Lizzy and Alex decide to join the elite Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron in order to help the war effort. By this time, Audrey’s mother has succumbed to her illness and died, leaving Audrey free to join her friend as a flight nurse. In flight school, they meet Louise a black woman from the south who was raised by parents in the medical field but faces segregation and racism every day.
All four American women are then transferred to England and join in with the RAF flight nurses to transport the wounded men from enemy lines in Europe. In England, the four women meet Pru, the daughter of a titled family from Yorkshire, and Emma, who came from the slums of London’s East End. The six women become fast friends as they work tirelessly for the war effort and risk their lives every day to bring the wounded back to hospitals in England.
As is usual for Danielle Steel books, this started out with a lot of backstory and information. But, I thought it was so important to know these women’s backstory as I was so interested to find out why they left their fairly comfortable lives and volunteered for such dangerous duties. Although the start is a bit slow, it’s also fascinating to understand these women and the motivations they have to uproot themselves from their comfortable lives and risk everything to help these injured men. Once all the women met and started their missions the rest of the story flew by as I was awed by the bravery and courage of these women. Yes, this is a wartime story and it is full of tragedy and heartbreak. However, the courage and dedication of these flying angels perseveres and the book is uplifting and optimistic.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves historical fiction, especially WWII historical fiction. I received a complimentary copy of this book. The opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.
The is the last Danielle Steel book I will ever read. Her writing is getting deplorable. This book is 75% filled with what I call "filler and fluff"! There is a basic plot that could have been decent if executed with fine writing but it fails horribly.
I am always interested in reading about various women who participated in the war efforts so I had high hopes that this novel would shine. I was shocked at how bad it was and was very disappointed.
There are so many repetitious thoughts and sentences over and over and over. At times when there were passages about how specific battles unfolded, the words read like a non-fiction factual document. And, basically all the girl's romances were so sappy and predictable I was able to skim the pages quickly due to no substance and all fluff.
As for historical accuracy, I don't think so. Some events felt not quite right. Another Amazon reviewer clearly states that the author was very inaccurate.
I read a lot of WWII novels and can honestly say this was the worst I have ever read. If this is the quality Steel is pumping out these days I am done with her. In her earlier years her books were well written and enjoyable. I actually have some favorites.. I am sorry, I cannot give this book a good review or recommend it. Give it a miss!
This is the first book I’ve read by Danielle Steel. I picked it up because I’m writing a trilogy of novels set during WWII, so I wanted to see how a writer of Steel’s stature handles a story set during the war. Barring some unforeseen circumstance, this will also be my last Danielle Steel novel. The two big no-no’s in writing fiction are (a) don’t info dump, and (b) show don’t tell. Steele fills the entire first chapter dumping ten tons of info, mostly backstory that we don’t need to up know up front. When she wasn’t info-dumping, she was doing lots of and lots of telling and very, very little showing. It read like it was Steel’s first novel and not her 135th (I counted them on Wikipedia.) If this novel is representative of Steel’s work, how the woman has sold 800 million books is beyond me. I bailed at 10% and frankly, I’m surprised I lasted that long.
Flying Angels is Danielle Steel’s latest novel and is my 40th book I have read of hers. It’s a historical fiction going back to WW2 that follows several women (who are all angels as they fix and rescue the wounded soldiers). This book truly had me on the edge of my seat and I felt just terrible for the soldiers and what they went through. Many lives lost, tragedies … and I couldn’t put the book down. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this early release in exchange for my honest review. To be published November 2021.
"It gives our lives purpose and meaning. We know why we're here, we have a mission and we fullfill it many times. We have a chance to win again every day and save lives."
As another reviewer said this book had a lot of redundant parts. It was as if they were trying to hit a word count so they just kept repeating things. I say they because it felt to me like different people had written parts of the book. I know it’s a Danielle steel book so of course it’s gonna be romance but really….it kind of took away from how badass all these ladies were that they ended up happily ever after. I felt like they kept killing off their siblings and friends to off set the happy ever after ending. I also felt that the Louise character was an after thought and they just added it to tick a box. POC person check but let’s make it the least formed character and spend little time on her development but hey she gets to get married too!! It was a total failure to incorporate that perspective and do justice to the character The more I think about it the less I like this book. It was quick and easy and made me interested to learn more about the MAETs but it wasn’t great literature
Enjoyable, although it feels like a second or third draft?
There is so much crammed into 260 pages, with multiple years and multiple POVs, and while it was a masterclass in doing all that much coherently, I still wanted more? It's very much a bare bones story with a lot going on, flitting in and out of six women's lives—and I guess it's technically a romance since it ends in several HEAs although the romances themselves were just as rushed as the rest of the book.
But hey, I read my very first Danielle Steel book! And I can see the appeal.
An extraordinary book. I didn't know one book could hold so many different emotions. Oh what a story. Friendship, Love, Tragedy, Loss, Romance, and Admiration were all in these pages and more. This is a story of brave nurses serving in the most dangerous conditions witnessing the most horrific wounds and doing it day in and day out sometimes working days and nights.
Each nurse's story is told, their family, why they became a nurse, what prompted them to sign up for the Air Force's Medical Air Evacuation Squadron and fly into enemy territory to rescue injured soldiers and transport them back to hospitals. Their stories are told before and immediately after the war when they returned to their worlds.
It is a story of a fierce friendship between the nurses and a selfless comradery that extended beyond social status, nationality, and color. They were like family and stuck together through the good times and the worst times. They had a friendship that would last the ages. Some of them would make it through the war and some would be lost.
Some found romance, through their work together with the male soldiers they worked with and some through patients and other's through tragedy. There are some happy times as well as some very sad times in the story. I can assure you a box of tissue will be needed.
It is a beautifully written story with much history of the Medical Air Evacuation Squadron and the nurses and corpsmen that flew in it. A story I had never heard before. I didn't know such a squadron had ever existed, but I am proud of the nurses that served during the war and all the good they did while putting their lives on the line for our country. The 801st Medical Air Evacuation Squadron was a United States Army Air Force unit that provided aeromedical evacuation and support services to front line units in the Pacific Theater of World War II. Although the story is fiction, the Air Evacuation Squadron was a true unit of the Air Force during WWII.
My daughter is a huge fan of this author and reads all of her books. I thought I would give this one a try and I am so glad I made that decision. It was one of those books you can't stop reading but you don't want it to end. I enjoyed reading it and I know that you will enjoy it as well.
Thanks to Danielle Steele for writing it, Random House for publishing it and NetGalley for making it available for me to read.
This book may not have been the best book for me to choose from my TBR pile since I recently visited the Flight 93 National Memorial in Stoystown, PA. However, I was already in an emotional mood before picking this book up.
Flying Angels is a VERY emotional read. Not only an emotional read but a very realistic (and bloody) look at what went on during WWII and the men and women who fly with the Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron and save lives while putting their own in danger; several times a day.
There is romance for some, and death for others. And I have to admit that I was surprised at who didn't make it all the way through this book and who did or did not get romance and a HEA.
This was not a fun book for me, but it was informative. There is plenty of character growth. This book does start slowly with a lot of backstory for several of the women. However, the rest of the women we meet don't seem to get the same respect, which bothered me for some reason.
I recommend this book to those who like their historical romances to be 'in your face' truthful, in all of its blood, guts, and glory.
*ARC supplied by The publisher #RandomHouseBallantine, the author #DanielleSteel, and #NetGalley.
As always, I enjoyed this sweet piece of historical fiction. However, there is a huge flaw that really bothered me, the use of the phone for communication. In the 1930s, 40s, and 50s, use of the phone for long distance calls was very limited. It was expensive and unreliable. When the author endlessly describes phone calls between characters, it really shows a lack of fidelity to that time period.
That being said, this is the story of a group of women who worked as transport nurses moving the wounded from battle sites to hospitals. Steel pulls together a diverse group of young women during WW II. She moves them from their nursing career to this extraordinary service during the war. I found it difficult to process the enormity of the tragedy that these women and their families faced.
I did enjoy this book and the description of the role of women during this difficult time.
Thank you Netgalley for this opportunity to read and review this book.
Flying Angels was released in by Pan Macmillan over a year ago. A story filled with history, bravery, comradery, friendship, support, loss and love, Danielle Steel’s late 2021 historical release offers an accessible entry into wartime life. An ensemble of six different but very heroic women fill the pages of Flying Angels. Charting the loves, loss, victories and failures of half a dozen flight nurses during World War two, this Danielle Steel tale bolsters the spirit. We meet Audrey, a young woman who has just graduated from nursing school with her fiend Lizzie, who are keen to serve their country in the wake of the Pearl harbour attack. After enlisting in the army, Audrey and Lizzie are called up to serve as flying nurses in England. There is no question that this new work positing is dangerous and important. These self-sacrificing nurses join forces with an elite circle of medical officers, who prove to play a vital role in evacuating injured solders to safety. Together this special group of nurses negotiate many difficult and perilous assignments. Each member of the squadron also faces their own personal problems, which ranges from loss to racial prejudice and leadership responsibilities. Despite the setbacks each woman faces that all united by one cause, to save as many lives as they can. Freedom is around the corner, but they must dig deep to survive this tireless journey. Danielle Steel is a guilty pleasure for many, which is evidenced by her popularity in the readers world thanks to her high volume of releases. Flying Angels is a slight departure from Steel’s modern contemporary fiction novels, as the bestselling author delves into the wartime years with a glimpse at a segment of the war bravely fought by women. There is some history and factual information in Flying Angels, which is presented in a telling not exploratory format. Steel has tried hard to bring her readers a sort of feminist history thanks to the flying angels squadron focus, but it did seem to be at outer level only. It’s good to see this global bestseller venture outside her usual modern romance stories and present something new. I was initially very interested in the whole concept of this story and I did enjoy areas of it but I largely felt a bit disappointed. It seems a shame as the world stage and timeline is presented to the reader, but it definitely lacks something. Steel chooses to focus on a group of six women in this novel and these characters fill the pages of Flying Angels. A mix of women from different corners of the globe and social backgrounds helps to vary the proceedings of this title. I was interested to see how each young woman would fare in the position they were given as flying nurses, it sure was a risky role. I had to admire the strength, resilience and bravery of these figures. This does come across to the audience, but I would have loved a deeper focus on one or two characters instead of a multitude of cast members. I will be honest and say Flying Angels tested me in the character stakes, just to keep a firm eye on who I was following. The novel does twist and slide so we get to find out how each nurse is coping with their circumstances. Steel throws in some losses, tragedy, love and unexpected encounters along the way for these women to negotiate. I reached the end of Flying Angels rather quickly, after reading through this one cover to cover in only two sittings. Flying Angels is easy book to pick up if you wish to find out a little bit of women’s history about the Second World War, with no huge demands.
This is a typical Danielle Steel book. After the first page I knew it was going to be a good book. It is a historical novel and deals with the war in Europe. Six women all decide to sign up and use their nursing skills to help our country. The book has a happy ending even though you do shed some tears along the way for people who have been killed in the war. Yes it is a typical feel good book, most of the characters have money and are beautiful, but that’s just the way Danielle Steel writes her books. I enjoyed every page of this book.
3.5 rounded up In June 1938 - Audrey Parker’s brother William Edward Parking is graduating from the US Naval Academy in Annapolis, Maryland. He is following in the footsteps of his father a Captain and his grandfather a three-star Vice Admiral and is seeking a career in the Navy~ the Navy was going to be his life and planes were his passion. He soon attends flight training in Pensacola Florida.
In the meantime, Andrey attended nursing school. Upon graduation her mother gives her trip to Hawaii for as graduation present. She and are best friend Lizzy Hatton go together and visit with Will who is now stationed there. They have a wonderful time plus Will and Lizzy fall in love. Audrey is over the mood with happiness that her best-friend just might soon be her sister-in-law. However, Audrey’s life changed forever on December 7, 1941 with the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Yes Will is stationed there and dies when his plane is shot down.
Lizzy, is distraught and feels she needs to do her part. She wants to do something helpful and to use her nursing skills than ‘bed pans’. She decides that she is going to do help American and join the Army She knows her parents will be upset and Audrey will have concerns but she believes it is the best for her. Audrey’s mother has been very ill and Audrey knows her days were now few. When her mother dies she also joins and Army is with Lizzy. The first half of the book insists of family background information on the six nurses ~ four besides Audrey and Lizzy. There is: Alexandra Whitman White ‘Alex’, Louise Jackson, Prudence Pommery and Emma Jones all are on the path of become transport nurses. As transport nurses on the first day they did five flights. They deal with a variety of injuries and said they felt like they were part of a well-oiled machine and a member of a highly efficient team.
Aww I believe readers are going to be pleased and surprised with this novel. It is one of Danielle Steel’s best. I am NOT a big WWII fan. It was such a terrible time and the stories are usually so sad. Yes! This story is sad and emotional! But they were heroes. There were flight nurses in the US Army Nurse Corps in 1944 called the Winged Angels. Here is a You Tube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lh2Jj...
Want to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine Books for this eGalley. This file has been made available to me before publication in an early form for an honest professional review. Publishing Release Date scheduled for November 23, 2022.
Danielle Steel bring us the story of six incredible women who end up serving the elite Medical Air Evacuation Transport Squadron as flight nurses after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. These women come from all walks of life and while they are risking their lives on dangerous missions, they form bonds that will carry them through these difficult times. The war affects everyone with leaving tragedy in its wake. Through it all, these women find comfort in each other and hold each other up.
Danielle Steel shows us how our background shouldn't matter especially during wartime. These six vastly different women from the color of their skin to their address and accents, they find commonality in their love of nursing and standing on their own two feet. Danielle draws you into their lives and rooting for each one of them. She keeps you wanting to turn the page and then wanting more when you get to the end.
I really enjoyed reading about the "Flying Angels" and look forward to the next story. I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. I would like to thank NetGalley and Random House Publishing Group - Ballantine - Delacorte Press for this privilege.
Wow! Just wow! An amazing story about strong women and their bonds with each other and family throughout a war that took so much from them. I was blown away by their stories and enjoyed it so much. Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for this early copy for review.
I liked her books in the past but she has been phoning it in for years - almost as if it is now a ghostwriter. The only ones that I pick up now are her historical fiction novels but this will be the last. This was a great premise - a group of young women trained as nurses who fly on the evacuation planes to and from the battlefield. The story starts out ok as we learn the back story of 2 of the women in detail. Suddenly they are in the war and a bunch of other characters are introduced but barely given any information. I had a hard time keeping track and even when 1 died I had to think about who it actually was. There was too much of a detatched telling aspect to this and I didn't connect.
I loved this book so much. As someone who has experienced modern warfare beginning with the tragic of 9/11, leading so many of my loved ones to serve in the military while being deployed in the Middle East, this book pulled my heart strings. It takes me back to Hawaii with my friends in marine corps, bonded together by experiences so few will every go through, like the losses of our friends and living on an island, forming beautiful friendships, that became our home. Our relationships with all of us became all of our home away from homes❤️
I have to be honest, I think this was a typical Danielle Steel.. She releases 7 books a year, so most of her books the last 5 years or so have been kinda basic. That being said, I read them all and enjoy most of them. I liked that the characters were a little deeper than most Danielle Steel's Female Characters ( they tend to be vapid and man crazy in most of her books) and the historical fiction background added to the book’s depth as well.
Thank you to Random House Publishing Group – Ballantine, Delacorte Press, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest, unbiased opinion.
Great read as always. A good insight to the nurses if WW11. The only reason I gave it a four was that the ending left me wanting more. You learned of the lives of the main characters, some of their losses and deaths. Then the war ends, and as each of the remaining find love, you want to know did it actually work out!
Danielle Steel Flying Angels was a good book. I really enjoyed the characters. It involved the lives of three women who join the war. A must read for anyone who likes fiction