Customer Reviews

Dawn of a Thousand Nights: A Story of Honor (The Liberator Series, Book 2)

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I got to proofread "From Dust and Ashes," one of Tricia's other novels, & wasn't disappointed. So I also asked to proofread "Dawn of a Thousand Nights: A Story of Honor." Again, I was definitely NOT disappointed! I literally had to MAKE myself slow down so I could proofread carefully! I was hooked from the first page. It's definitely a 5-star book--a fascinating read, sad because of Pearl Harbor & other elements but also hopeful. It also takes place in WWII. We are there at Pearl Harbor; we are there with the women fliers (WAFS/WASPS) who transported planes across the country to free up male pilots for the war (one of the aspects of WWII I didn't know about until this book). We are also there in the Philippines, including the Bataan Death March & the horrid Japanese POW camps. Yet even through some of the worst circumstances of the war, this gifted author shows us that God truly cares & loves each of His children, & He can & will bring victory out of defeat. Such a powerful message of hope, love, & grace!

Historical figures are included, but the fiction & history mesh well. Readers even get to "see" from a Japanese point of view. The characters are compelling; I couldn't wait to know what happened to them! There is a touch of romance, but it's not overdone. This book is much more about the history, the people who lived it, and what they experienced during WWII. It's packed with emotions from those historical events: realism, fear, hope, faith, & love in the midst of extremely difficult times...& the gamut of emotions those who lived through WWII experienced. This is truly a unique and compelling book with characters who have depth & conflicts; I felt like I was there in each of the three main character's minds. Each of the chapters starts with actual historical newspaper excerpts, which adds a unique realism not always found in novels.

I have proofed well over 600 books, & I write reviews on VERY few. But Tricia Goyer's books are, quite simply, excellent! I have not found another author like her, and I am immensely thankful that I got to work on this book. I had to have "Night Song," and since I didn't get to proof that, I bought it. Even though "Dawn" may seem like a long book, it's well worth your time! I love historical books that I can "sink my teeth into"--ones that have depth and a great story mixed with history--not short, shallow books that only use history as a backdrop or setting.

This book was my jumping-off place to learn more about the war in the Pacific & the Bataan Death March. If you love WWII historical novels, you won't be able to put this book down! It has stayed with me since May 2004! Don't miss this! I'm so glad I didn't. :-)

I've already asked the publisher if I can proofread Tricia Goyer's next book. I can hardly wait! :-) I cannot recommend
this book highly enough! Enjoy!

In June 1941, World War II rages in Europe and a romance begins in Hawaii.

Dan Lukens, former UCLA football star, is now a top fighter pilot for the US Army Air Corps and is stationed in Hawaii. Libby Conners fled the mainland US for the friendlier skies of Hawaii. She is a female pilot and flight instructor, occupations frowned upon in California. Dan falls for Libby after she nearly drowns him in the ocean. They become engaged the day before Dan is shipped off to Clark Field in the Philippines.

Libby is giving flight lessons on December 7, 1941, when the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor. On December 8th, the Japanese attack the Philippines, destroying the United States' air power. When the islands are finally overrun, Dan becomes a prisoner of war. The one thing that keeps him going amid the horrors of the POW camps is Libby and the life he plans with her after the war, if he survives.

Libby joins the WAFS-Women's Air Ferrying Squadron-delivering plans all over the country for the military. She struggles through the loss of close friends and not knowing if Dan is dead or alive.

Tricia Goyer does an excellent job bringing to life an often overlooked aspect of World War II-the war with Japan. Historical details woven throughout the book bring the years 1941-1945 draw the reader into this rich story.

If you haven't read this book, what are you waiting for? Get this book! It's a work of art. I loved it.
Superbly written, using actual historical facts as it's backbone. But it's not a dry dull history text, (not that I consider history dry) but a gripping tale of love and endurance and faith. Once you dive in you will immmedatiely fall in love with Dan and Libby. Such wonderful and endearing characters. There is plenty of humor and there will be tears. I cried when I found out the "why" of the title to the book. And I stayed late at work to finish it.
I consider Dawn of a Thousand Nights a must have for any history lover's bookshelf, as well as the WWII buffs out there. And if you just love a great story, you should read this book. It's on my keeper shelf and one I intend to enjoy again. (And read anything else the author writes.)

"Dawn of a Thousand Nights" is the fourth book I have read by Tricia Goyer, all of them her "Liberator Series" set during WWII. Christian Fiction set during WWII is a combination I find hard to resist, in spite of the fact that I find Goyer's writing lukewarm.

Each of the books in her Liberator Series has a different setting, focused on a different facet of the war; Dawn of a Thousand Nights tells the stories of two fliers, one female, one male. Dan Lukens and Libby Conners meet and fall in love in Hawaii in the fall of 1941. She is there as a flight instructor at a small, private aiport; he is stationed there as a fighter pilot in the Army Air Corps. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Dan receives orders to transfer immediately to the Philippines. He gives Libby an engagement ring, receives her promise that she will wait for him, and for the next four years, with no communication between them, they hold on to the hope that each other is alive and well, while at the same time each is engaged in their particular arena of the war.

Libby's is, of course, the much easier path, since women at that time were not engaged in combat, and it is her story that is the weakest part of the book. In previous books Goyer has displayed the tendency to introduce elements into her plot that are implausible and unrealistic, and Dawn of a Thousand Nights is, unfortunately, no exception. She seems to do her homework when it comes to research; at the back of each of her books is a list of the veterans she interviewed for her story. In this book, she begins each chapter with an excerpt from a newspaper article of the time, and her descriptions of the process of flying the planes, the barracks where Libby and the other women lived, the conditions of the men stationed in the Philippines, etc. are all well-done. Nevertheless, she includes elements that ring false; while this may serve to move her plot in the direction she wants it to go, it costs her credibility with the reader. Although such errors weren't as numerous in this book as in her last book I read a few months ago, the errors were there, they were bothersome, and they cost the book at least a star.

First, she begins the book with the heroine, Libby, stationed in Hawaii giving private flying lessons to MEN who are hoping to get accepted into the Army Air Corps and who need just a little extra training. My dad was a WWII veteran and so I can say with confidence that men of his generation would NEVER have taken flying lessons from a woman, no matter how badly they wanted to fly! Goyer has Libby moving to Hawaii to gain "distance from mainland prejudices;" no matter how progressive Hawaii may have been in 1941 compared to the U.S., I do not believe a woman could have found work giving flight lessons to men. No doubt there were female flight instructors during this time; however, they would have been limited to teaching other women.

The second error, an even more glaring one, takes place during the bombing of Pearl Harbor. Libby is at an airport, having managed to safely land her plane when the bombing started, and she witnesses a bomber make an emergency landing. Running out onto the tarmac as the crew spills out of the plane, she directs them to the building while she goes on to rescue the pilot who was trapped inside the plane. Again, my dad was of this era, and there is NO WAY he or any of his friends would have abandoned a crewmate for someone else to rescue; ESPECIALLY not a woman! To make matters worse, this little episode turns Libby into a heroine, and throughout most of the rest of the book she is given special respect because of it and reporters clamor to interview her. Now, if anyone knows of such an incident that occurred during WWII I would love to hear about it and will gladly concede if I am wrong. But until then - nope. No way. I'm not buying it.

Aside from these points, the parts of the book involving Libby were also weaker in terms of characterization and dialog. The interactions among the female pilots was just too girly, their conflicts solved and smoothed over a little too easily. Overall it felt shallow and goody-goody.

The parts of the book involving Dan were much better, probably due in large part to the fact that his was a much more dramatic story. Goyer's depiction of the conditions of the GIs in the Philippines, the Bataan Death March, Japanese work camps and POW camps were evocative and well-done. There was enough detail to give a strong sense of how horrible it all was.

A third character, who added interest to the story, was that of Natsuo, a young Japanese man who had lived in California prior to the war and become a college friend of Dan's. When Japan began acts of aggression he returned to his homeland to serve his country. However, his loyalty to his emperor conflicts with ideas he learned while in America, and with his memories of friendships with Americans, Dan in particular. It is inevitable that they will eventually meet again at a Japanese POW camp; Natsuo is the interpreter and Dan is, of course, a prisoner. There Natsuo is faced with the ultimate test of his loyalty.

I kept hoping for some big twist or turn in the plot, but unfortunately, it had a "happily ever after", anticlimatic and predictable ending. Perhaps I am in the minority, but I actually feel that, most of the time, not having everything tie up nicely and neatly at the end makes for a stronger, more memorable book.

Goyer's writing is fast and easy reading; for those who like fairly light and entertaining books this should satisfy. However, if you're looking for something to tap into your emotions then this won't be it.

This is one of my favorite Christian fiction books. It's about a couple who keep on loving each other despite the war. I'd give this book six stars if I could!

Dawn of a Thousand Nights is a fictional novel with the historical backdrop of World War II. Tricia Goyer gives us the subtext of the story with the subtitle, "A Story of Honor." The novel revolves around a trio of main characters: two American pilots (one man and one women) and a Japanese interpreter. All three are fully focused at the beginning of the book with the desire to help and serve their respective countries. As the story unfolds, the characters individually advance through a wide-ranging emotional spectrum - from bitter hatred against the enemy, to fear, love, despair, the works. But it all comes back around to honor - how each handles the circumstances of their lives in the midst of a devastating war. These are not vague one-dimensional characters dropped into a cheap story line. Quite the opposite - Dawn of a Thousand Nights is multi-dimensional and richly detailed with accurate period references. The novel focuses on specific events of WWII in the Pacific Theater: the bombing of Pearl Harbor by the Japanese, the battle for supremacy in the Philippines, the Bataan Death March. And in the same time frame on the west coast of America, a separate but equally important battle is fought in the arena of ideas: specifically, in regards to the use of women as pilots in the war. The expanded role of women during WWII emphasizes their vast and valuable contributions to the war effort in their own right.

Dawn of a Thousand Nights is an amazing read - bittersweet at times, yet complex and satisfying through and through. Tricia Goyer is an incredibly talented writer. She is able to deliver past history as if it were fresh news, all the while weaving a diverse mix of romance, patriotism, friendship, courage and drama into a resonant cast of characters. This novel will definitely stand the test of time as a stand-out work from a real stand-up author.

This flawlessly researched book held me captive from first page to last. Author Tricia Goyer is not only an excellent writer, she is a first-rate storyteller whose characters walk right off the page and into your heart. Having heard so many of my late father's WWII stories, Dawn of a Thousand Nights was a bit of a nostalgic experience for me, but one I enjoyed immensely. I am anxiously awaiting Tricia's next book!

It was during a trip to Austria that Tricia Goyer was inspired to make her first foray into fiction. While touring Mauthausen she heard the story of 23 Americans who liberated a local concentration camp and that the first person into the camp to help the prisoners was a Nazi wife. She knew this was a story she had to write and the result was her first novel, FROM DUST AND ASHES.

She has continued to write books based on the events of World War II, but her latest, DAWN OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS, shifts its focus to the South Pacific theater of the conflict. Starting in Hawaii in the days shortly before the surprise attack on Pearl Harbor, the story introduces readers to pilots Libby Conners and Dan Lukens. Libby is working as a flight instructor on the island where prejudices against female pilots are less ingrained. Dan is a hotshot Army Air Corps pilot. Their paths cross at a local beach and it's not long before the two become a couple.

DAWN OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS is an atypical romance novel in that the central couple spends the bulk of the story separated. Dan is shipped out to the Philippines, sent further into the South Pacific, and Libby promises to wait for him. But in his absence, what was then unthinkable happens. The Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and Libby makes the difficult decision to head back to the mainland and join the new Women's Auxiliary Ferry Squadron (WAFS).

The years that follow provide grueling tests of endurance --- physical and emotional --- for both Dan and Libby. Captured by the Japanese, Dan experiences the legendarily brutal Bataan Death March and years as a POW. Meanwhile, Libby suffers a freak accident on one of her missions and faces the possibility of losing her sight --- and her ability to fly --- permanently. And when a would-be suitor hits the scene, Libby has to weigh her hopes for a future with Dan against the very real possibility that he is no longer alive.

One of the hallmarks of Goyer's writing is that she approaches her narrative from multiple angles. And in DAWN OF A THOUSAND NIGHTS she gives us not only Dan and Libby's perspectives, but also that of Natsuo Hidki, an interpreter in the Imperial Japanese Army who also attended college in the United States. Natsuo has been trained to value honor and allegiance to the Japanese Emperor over all, but he is conflicted by the memories of his time in the U.S. and the kindness shown to him by one of his classmates in particular.

The plot might not offer much in the way of surprises, but the effort Goyer puts into her research to create vivid and historically accurate landscapes --- political, social and physical --- for her books is well-spent. The story is certainly a compelling history lesson as it incorporates news articles, letters, and official broadcasts from the era. Fans of the historical fiction genre certainly will be pleased with this new addition.

--- Reviewed by Lisa Ann Cockrel

Libby Conners meet Dan Lukens on the eve of attack of Pearl Harbor. Dan and Libby fall in love. After the attack Dan ends up prisioner of war in the Philippines and then in Japan and Libby serving in the Wasps. Dan and Libby are apart and they must rely on their faith that they will be together when the war is over.
"Dawn Of A Thousand Nights" by Tracia Goyer is moving story of faith in the darkestbhours of war. It clear that Ms. Goyer did her reseacher in the conditions that soldiers faced. Overall I really enjoyed "Dawn of a Thousand Nights" and would be good read for any who enjoyes wartime fiction.

I love this book. It is book # 3 in Tricia Goyer's WW2 Liberators Series. I have read it 2x so far and plan on reading it again someday! A captivating tale of love, honor courage, learning to have faith in God and overcoming darkness set primarily in the south pacific during WW2. At times it was brutal and it was a real eye opener to learn about what the American POWS endured at the hands of the Japanese. I also found the storyline about Libby and her service in the WAFS to be very interesting. The character of Natsuo intrigued me and it was very interesting and in some parts even a little disturbing to see the war from the japanese perspective. The end of the book was incredible, it made me cry but in a good way..it certainly lives up to the title! The message I got from this book was that even in the darkest of places, God is there....even when you think there is no way he could possibly be there...HE IS and I love how Tricia Goyer illustrates this point in this captivating tale. This book is a must read!! I wish they would make a movie out of this book....and all the other books in this wonderful series