Dawn of a Thousand Nights: A Story of Honor

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.)

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.

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!

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!

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