I've always been a fan of historical fiction and have read my fair share of books based on World War II but none like this.

It's the story of Margie Bauer, a young girl who joins the Army Nurse Corps ahead of the U.S. involvement in World War II. She's called to duty in 1941 and assigned to Manila in the Philippines, far from the realities of war at first, but soon the Japanese start bombing and taking control of the island. Margie is among a handful of nurses left on the island to help treat injured soldiers. Eventually, they are taken prisoner by the Japanese and sent to an internment camp for more than a year. When the camp is liberated, Margie becomes victim to another crime but not at the hands of her captors. From there, the story follows Margie's journey home and her struggle to reacclimate to civilian life. She marries, has children, and finds a way to satisfy a hunger food could never fill.

"A Pledge of Silence" is based off of true stories from the war, although Margie is a fictional character. Author Flora J. Solomon did a magnificent job of crafting her tale. When I learned about WWII in school, the Philippines were not included in the lesson plans, and in most renditions of stories about the war the focus is on the male soldiers. Although this tale was grim at times, it was refreshing to read about the impact these female nurses had during the war.

4.5 out of 5 stars