I was not familiar with Sara Ackerman's work so I was excited when I was granted an ARC of this book by the publisher.

The story gripped me from the very start and I easily could have finished this book in less than 2 days if my family had let me.

This is a story set in Hawaii during the start of WW2. Lana is introduced to a German family who is faced with a desperate situation. Lana does what she think is best and runs with Marie and Coco.
I would say that this is more of a mild romance story than a straight historical fiction. It is tame as far as WW2 stories go but I did enjoy it nevertheless.

3.5 stars rounded up to 4 just because I would have appreciated a bit more history but I do now have Hawaii on my bucket list.

All thoughts & opinions are my own.

3.5 I bought this book at the gift shop in Pearl Harbor wanting a good historical fiction book to learn more about what life was like when it happened. I did get that, enjoyed this book and was drawn back to it easily. However, I struggled with the "lightness" of it. There was so much focus on the romance and picnics and the lipstick matching her dress when she was headed to the military check point. This threw me a bit - though I suppose for the native Hawaiians, some of life continued on per usual. This was on a different island so less "hot spot" There were some deeper events but often kept light and felt too light to me. Overall though I did enjoy the story and characters.

I loved everything about this piece of historical fiction. Lana returns to her home after a long estrangement from her father, Jack. Her father is dying, and as she returns, the Japanese attack Pearl Harbor and life in Hawaii changes instantly. She is a day late to see her father, but there in time to see his German neighbors arrested. On the island, many Japanese and Germans, as well as Italians, are arrested without any other reason than their nationality. Lana takes the two daughters, Coco and Marie, to safety at a house her father built in a remote section of the island. In addition, she hides her father’s friend, more Hawaiian than Japanese,but at risk of arrest. It is an important work with ramifications for today’s political situation, while telling an engrossing story of a strong woman and her actions in the face of danger. Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC.

Listened to this book

*** Blog Tour ***

1941. Hawaii. Pearl Harbor. US enters WWII. This is the history against which Red Sky Over Hawaii by Sara Ackerman is set, but the story is not truly about the war. The background of the war against the beautiful, haunting environment of the Hawaii volcanoes creates a readable story of what happens when people do the right thing and stand together and for each other. That is a lesson well worth reiterating again and again.

Read my complete review at http://www.memoriesfrombooks.com/2020/04/red-sky-over-hawaii.html

Reviewed for NetGalley and the Harlequin Trade Publishing 2020 Summer Read Blog Tour – Historical Fiction.

Good. Not as good as some of the others, but I still enjoyed it!

I love a good romance, but I found it way too hard to get behind a story of a woman falling in love with a man who was actively participating in wartime atrocities.

Anchors away! Hawaii, here we come! 


I knew that a Sara Ackerman novel would be the perfect choice to kick off my vacation. Sarah writes books with aloha; she’s Hawaiian born and her books are set on the islands. Red Sky Over Hawaii is about a bereaved young woman who creates a refuge in Hawaii Volcano National Park for her diverse found family. 


“I miss you so much, the inside of my heart hurts.”


The story opens the day before the bombing of Pearl Harbour as Lana Hitchcock arrives in Hilo to visit her estranged father, Hilo Jack, in hospital. With heightened suspicion of the ethnic diversity living in Hilo, the FBI takes, among hundreds, Lana’s father’s German neighbours, Mr./s. Wagner, in for questioning. Lana assumes responsibility for their daughters Marie (13) and Berta/Coco (8) and goes to check on her father’s elderly fishing buddy, Mochi. Realizing that these friends would be targets for authorities, Lana encourages them to flee with her to her father’s remote cabin near Kilauea. Her split-second decision, made possible by her father’s foresight, changes the trajectory of this eclectic ‘found family.’


If historical fiction isn’t your favourite genre, don’t worry. Ackerman’s book is more focused on family, friends, and connections than the wartime events. I’ve always loved that she includes the lore, language, diversity, fauna and food of the islands. Although this one is focussed on the importance of family, connections and the humanity that links the diverse cultures of Hawaii, it also features a beloved Great Dane named Sailor, two Nene geese named Gin and Tonic, several horses, and bees. 


After reading about malasadas, I have to try them when we arrive in Maui. 


This will be a perfect supplement to our day at Hawaii Volcanoes National Park! 


If this setting, the promise of a clean read, and a focus on love and friendship midst the tragedy of war appeals to you, you’ll want to read this one!


Out of the four Ackerman books I’ve read, I’m ranking it as my favourite. They’re all five-stars, but this one was special