The Year of Counting Souls

De: Michael Wallace

Narrado por: Rosemary Benson

As Japanese forces attack the Philippines in the aftermath of Pearl Harbor, US army nurse Louise Harrison waits to be evacuated from Manila. But with the enemy closing in, Louise is forced to flee with a handful of wounded soldiers to a field hospital deep in the mountains.

Isolated in an unfamiliar country amid desperate conditions, Louise strikes up a friendship with Sammy Mori, an injured Japanese soldier with a secret. Deemed a traitor for reporting on the atrocities in Nanking, Sammy is being hunted by his brother, Yoshiko, a member of the feared Japanese military secret police.

When Yoshiko discovers the hospital camp, Louise and her patients find themselves in even greater danger. Caught between new loyalties and old, Louise and Sammy must trust their unlikely bond to sustain them through deprivation and chaos. It's a bond that inspires unexpected acts of courage and sacrifice - a light of hope shining through the darkness of war.

©2017 Michael Wallace (P)2017 Brilliance Publishing, Inc., all rights reserved.

Deeply touching

I think I may have gotten this book from a Kindle First Reads. It’s definitely not something I would have grabbed on my own. It reminds me of a book I read for my book club called First They Killed My Father by Loung Ung. I really liked it. It’s a medical version of Black Hawk Down. It’s about a group of medical personnel and soldier patients trying to evacuate Manila after the bombing of Pearl Harbor. They are constantly trying to outrun the enemy.

I can’t say any more without ruining it. All I can say is read it. It’s a very touching and heartfelt story.

Riveting Story,

I found the story riveting and informative, giving a glimpse into the struggles and challenges of soldiers and nurses behind enemy lines when Japan invaded the Philippines at the beginning of WWII.
While the Japanese and American characters were fairly-well developed, the Filipino characters were barely mentioned. A stray dog gets more mention than the Filipinos, otherwise I would have given this five stars.