Dawn of a Thousand Nights: A Story of Honor

World War II Liberator #3

by Tricia Goyer

For fans of scrupulously researched historical fiction, Tricia Goyer releases Dawn of a Thousand Nights . Following on the heels of Goyer's From Dust and Ashes and Night Song , readers journey with Dan Fletcher and Libby Conner, both U.S. pilots fighting in WWII's Pacific Theater. Fletcher is captured by the Japanese and is forced to endure the horror of the Bataan Death March in the Philippines. It is here that he encounters Natsu Hidiki, a guard whose nagging conscience won't let him ignore the human degradation in which he is participating. Libby Conner is a WASP (Women's Air Force Service Pilot), who ferries military planes between Hawaii and the South Pacific. By the time of the attack on Pearl Harbor, she has turned the head of Fletcher in no small way. Readers will be captivated by this tale of dignity and honor triumphing in the midst of a very dark time in history.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Christian Fiction, World War II, Christian, Historical, Christian Historical Fiction

512 pages, Paperback

First published September 1, 2005

About the author

Tricia Goyer is a busy mom of ten, grandmother of two, and wife to John. Somewhere around the hustle and bustle of family life, she manages to find the time to write fictional tales delighting and entertaining readers and non-fiction titles offering encouragement and hope. A bestselling author, Tricia has published thirty-three books to date and has written more than 500 articles. She is a two time Carol Award winner, as well as a Christy and ECPA Award Nominee. In 2010, she was selected as one of the Top 20 Moms to Follow on Twitter by SheKnows.com. Tricia is also on the blogging team at MomLifeToday.com, TheBetterMom.com and other homeschooling and Christian sites.In addition to her roles as mom, wife and author, Tricia volunteers around her community and mentors teen moms. She is the founder of Hope Pregnancy Ministries in Northwestern Montana, and she currently leads a Teen MOPS Group in Little Rock, AR. Learn more about Tricia at www.triciagoyer.com.

Reviews

[Michelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dawn of a Thousand Nights is a story of survival and hope in God birthed during the most horrible of circumstances. It some ways this story reminded me of Pearl Harbor, only it was so much better. Unlike the movie, this story won't leave you feeling cheated at the end when the woman ends up with the wrong man. Libby remained faithful to Dan and though lonely at times, she trusted in God to see her through hard times. Times when she was tempted to doubt. Personal faith was born through their adversity, rather than bitterness which is often cultivated by unfair circumstances. It is during these trying times that Libby and Dan individually seek God to meet their deepest needs. I felt for Dan as he watched one buddy after another die while he lived on, barely. The Lord was with him even in the darkest places, and like Deitrich Bonhoeffer, he ministered to those who needed hope even while he suffered in prison. What an inspiring novel. At times the reality of the story was so horrible I had to take a mental breather, but otherwise I couldn't put this story down. Goyer brings WWII to life when she highlights the suffering of American servicemen in the Philippines. Their plight is often forgotten when people recall the heroes and circumstances of WWII. Overall, this story is the best accounting of the war in the Pacific that I've ever read. I can't wait for Tricia's next book to come out. It's guaranteed to be an intense emotional ride, just like her first two books. And they keep getting better. How does she do that? :)

[Shirley Chapel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tricia Goyer saved the best till the last book of The Liberator series. This book was different from the last three ones of this series. It covered the Japanese war from before the bombing of Pearl Harbor, during the attack on Pearl Harbor to the war on the Philippine Islands.
Dan was a war pilot that was sent to fight the Japanese in The Philippines. These brave men never received reinforcement of more troops or war planes. After McCarthur was pulled from the area and stationed elsewhere the military troops and pilots became POWs to the Japanese. The story centers on what happened to these Americans during these years.
I haven't read many stories about the war between the U.S. and Japan. More stories seem to cover WWII. Tricia Goyer researched these years thoroughly which made the story so real. She included the WAFS which were woman pilots that flew new fighter jets to various areas where they would be needed. This story kept this reader up till the wee hours because I couldn't put the book down.
Dawn of a Thousand Nights is for readers who enjoy war time novels. Christian Fiction and clean romance.
I downloaded a Kindle ebook version of this book from The Kindle Lending Library. A review was not requested. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Danica · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book ... very heart wrenching in places to see how people were treated as POW during WWII. I enjoyed the parts about the WAFS and WASPs as well ... it matched up with other books that I had read about the subject. The whole book was extremely well researched and it was hard to remember that it was a fictional account.

[Sharon Paavola · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just finished this novel. Really liked the accurate history in it. I learned more about WWII. The characters were fleshed out and memorable. Spiritual lessons touched me.

[Jeni Enjaian · Rating 3 out of 5]

After discovering the rather limited extent of Ms. Goyer's narrative structures, I picked up this book with low expectations. This book met those low expectations. I also could not shake allusions to Pearl Harbor, a rather melodramatic film which I enjoy. This book, however, muddled through various difficult and challenging issues never reaching any depth or reasonable resolution. This book did not survive round two of the purge from my personal collection.

[Monica · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have this weird thing about critiquing a Christian book. I am hesitant to say anything negative against it that would perhaps deter someone who needs the message that it gives from reading it. I am working on getting over it. There are good books and bad books. Not every book is for every person. Do not let my opinion deter you.

This book just wasn't that great. I was very excited to read this book as the premise and synopsis seemed to be right up my alley. About 100 pages in, I really felt like this was a waste of a good idea. The characters were not deep or fleshed out. The dialogue was predictable. I asked myself how a World War II setting could ever be boring but for much of this book I found out.

However, the last 100 pages (that I forced myself to keep reading to get to) were engaging and entertaining. There were still story lines that felt unfinished and characters that were incomplete but the main story line did become a bit more interesting and I am at least partially satisfied with the conclusion. It felt like this was a first novel and the author got better with time, practice and editing, however, this is the third in a series. I am still intrigued enough to possibly read some of the author's other works.

I just feel like there are better written and more engaging books out there with a similar premise.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well-researched historical novel, taking place during WWII. The first half of the book went slower for me, but the second was pretty hard to put down. I learned history I knew little or nothing about and was reminded how much we take for granted. The Christian message of the book came in gradually and naturally.

[Meghan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Totally amazing story! I love how it shows that the light of Christ can still shine in the darkest of places. Wonderful, wonderful story. I ve read it three times now!

[Debbie Brown · Rating 3 out of 5]

A WWII story about the south pacific by a Christian author. It was an enjoyable read, but very anticlimactic after reading "Unbroken".

[SK · Rating 5 out of 5]

Through the pages of this book I traveled from Pearl Harbor, to California, to the training centers with women fliers, and sailed the skies with the women who transported planes across the country. This book informed with objective information, but it also was empathetic, and it truly inspired. This story didn’t just dispense facts, or spin a good tale, it inexorably pulled the reader in, compelling them to identify with each character and their absorbing life situation. How would I feel, act, respond if I was in the shoes of Libby Conners at John Rodgers Airport on December 7, 1941 as she watched George Abel expire from an attack from Japanese fighters, or when she heard Dan was missing in the Philippines, or when she became seriously concussed? How would I feel if I was Dan Lukens at Pearl, or on the Bataan march, or in isolation in a miniscule solitary lockup in Japan after having seen my best friend Gabe Lincoln attacked and dying, the man that encouraged Dan countless times since leaving Pearl? The character of Rose Wright was also a heartbreaking story that rang true for that December 7th day, it clearly showed the brevity of life, how our lives are like a vapor. Then, added to the above stories is the fact that the Philippines is not just a location on the map for me, but a place where I worked for many years, fellowshipped with other believers, and read stories about the Japanese occupation, and even met people who experienced that occupation or had relatives that did. The book is written so vividly, I could smell the mold, feel the heat, plants, and the bugs, all which made the story potent.

Every book in this series is powerful, and this book no less. If you want a gripping experience, treat yourself to an edifying read.

[Serena · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book as it was chosen for our Book Club in 2024. I have read historical fiction about WWII, but the books that I had read were always taking place in Europe. This is the first time that I had read anything about the Japanese and their involvement in the Philippines during WWII. It was hard to read about how poorly the captured Americans were treated during this event. I don't know how anybody survived the conditions and I wonder how many were able to have normal lives if they made it home. Obviously, the author had done a lot of research to write this historical fiction book. I learned a lot and I appreciated learning about the women pilots (WAFS) who flew aircraft from the factories to the military bases. I really liked the main characters, Dan and Libby and I appreciated the epilogue.

[Cindi · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wasn't sure I was going to like this story since it focused on the planes in WWII. However, it was beyond good. The author did a nice job educating me about the various aircraft without it going over my head. I was especially surprised to learn about the WAFS as I hadn't known anything about them before now.

The characters were very likeable and I was able to relate to them well. It was heartbreaking to know what people have gone through when faced with uncertainty and loss of so many.
I enjoyed reading about Pearl Harbor and the Philippines during this time period. I learned a lot.

My favorite character was Gabe. He was truly a hero in many ways.

This has turned out to be my favorite book in the series so far. I'm eager to read the final book. Tricia Goyer is an author that has been blessed with an amazing writing talent. If you enjoy reading and learning about WWII you will want to read this book along with the others in the World War II Liberator series. I highly recommend Dawn of a Thousand Nights.

[Gophergirl58 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although the subject matter was, at times, intense, I found the read easy. For me, there seemed to be something missing: character development or emotion in the story? I’m unsure; and maybe more attention to what should be the faith aspect of the book which -again, to me - fell flat at times. Still, I would read more in this series. I would, however, like to see all the books in this series have editing occur again as there are several problems in each book. No matter: it’s still an enjoyable series.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are looking for a WWII novel set in the Pacific, then this is the book for you. It was well written, great characters, historical facts, just a great story of human triumph over hatred and how God can set you free.

The main characters, Dan and Libby, are wonderful and it was great to see how they faced difficulties and grew in their faith. The horrors of war, what our men and women faced is beyond my imagination. The author did a wonderful job with this book. I’m looking forward to reading more like this.

[Debby Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Gripping and at times intense. The characters were so well developed, they seemed like real people. My heart broke whenever one of them died, but it added realism to the story. Libby was a courageous pilot who was good at her job. Shed been emotionally wounded as a child when her mother left, but she eventually found peace in God. Dan survived the Bataan Death March only to suffer years of being interned in various Japanese POW camps. His faith in God grew stronger during his ordeal. This book had a happy ending, but it was bittersweet in that so many characters died along the way.

[Barbara · Rating 4 out of 5]

Probably closer to 4.5 stars, this is my favorite of the WWII liberator series so far. Ms. Foyer was able to talk to several former female flyers, and perhaps that made this story feel so vibrant and realistic. The theme of being able to forgive your enemies was very powerful. This is definitely a worthwhile novel to read!

[Amy S · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was such a good read. I'm looking forward to reading them all. I wasn't much of a History buff but Goyer brings history to life through her work. Thank goodness for Google that I can find out more about the things that happened.

[GJ S · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was a great WW2 story of love and torture both. The enemy tortured the Americans. The characters were easily to relate to. It was interesting that some women flew planes during the
war for a short time. I recommend this author and this book 3

[Alissa Holmes · Rating 5 out of 5]

A productive enjoyable read

This is a sweet story of friendship hope lost and love. It is a clean romance World War II book that I recommend for people to read. The story is a story of enduring hope and love that we need for the hour in which we are living.

[Kris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I loved how it alternated the story from Dan, a prisoner of the Japanese, and Libby, a woman pilot who encountered lots of prejudice against her. Long book but lots of depth.

[Lynette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful book - so much history mingled in the story that I had not known about before. This whole series is great!

[Virginia Ventola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent

You did it again Tricia Goyer. Hard to put the book down. Got one more book to read in this series. Awesome!

[ROCKY · Rating 5 out of 5]

Also read this yrs ago & loved it!!

[Paula · Rating 5 out of 5]

No spoilers here!! Do yourself a favor and read this book! You won’t be sorry!

[Abigail Bishop · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was the first “big kid book” that I read when I was 12. It started my love of reading and historical fiction. I haven’t stopped since :)

[Tara · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book.

[Jeri Stockdale · Rating 5 out of 5]

Realistic and gritty. I felt like I was living it all.

[M · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just okay.

[Theletter12 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Spoiler: extremely dark story about the horrors of being an American pow in Japan

[Rebecca Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a great book, if you like war stories and all the ugly that comes with it. I had a most difficult time reading this book but it is my own personal hang-up with reading about war crimes and torture of prisoners and death camp marches, etc. However, having said that, the author does a thorough job of describing one of our defining moments in history of World War II, and the hope and inspiration that enabled many of our POWs and families at home to cope with their terrible absences and long periods of waiting without any news whatsoever. The book also gives an interesting and most likely an accurate historical account of the contribution of female pilots as they emerged onto the scene helping out with the war efforts. All in all, a great Christian historical novel, but a tough read in many aspects.