Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy from the Publisher. This does not affect my opinion of the book or the content of my review.

Hold Strong

by Robert Dugoni

Published by Lake Union Publishing on January 28, 2025
Genres: Biographical Fiction
Pages: 503
Format: Audible Audiobook, Hardcover, Kindle, Paperback
Source: the Publisher
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Get Your Copy at: Amazon

From Robert Dugoni, Jeff Langholz, and Chris Crabtree comes an epic and inspiring novel—based on true events—about love, heroism, and resilience during the darkest chapters of World War II.

Sam Carlson is a projectionist in small-town Minnesota, where fantasies unspool in glorious black and white—for him and for his sweetheart, college-bound math whiz Sarah Haber. When the Japanese bomb Pearl Harbor, Sam is sent to the Philippines and captured as a POW. Brutalized but unbroken by the Bataan Death March and POW camps, Sam is one of 1,800 starved and weakened prisoners herded into the cargo hold of a barbaric hell ship called the Arisan Maru, his survival doubtful.

Determined to use her math skills on the home front, Sarah is recruited to Washington, DC, into the covert field of code breaking. When Sarah intercepts a message about a Japanese convoy, the US Navy’s mission is sink the Arisan Maru and send it to the bottom of the South China Sea. Now, the lives of the two young lovers are about to inadvertently collide in one of the most shocking acts of World War II.

Anchored in an extraordinary true story and breathlessly recreated, Hold Strong is a one-of-a-kind novel that explores faith, courage, survival, and coming home against insurmountable odds.

Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni is impressive.

Will Sam and Sarah find happiness after years apart?

Hold Strong is a biographical fiction set during the Great Depression and World War II. This genre isn’t typically seen on Baroness’ Book Trove, as neither Karen nor I read biographies. However, when the opportunity arose to read something Mr. Dugoni wrote, I was swayed to discover why he stepped out of the mystery genre. 

Sarah Haber

When we first meet Sarah, she has just graduated from high school. Sarah is practical and thinks logically. I see her as true to herself. Sarah is the top student in her small town, and she has plans to graduate from college and return to teach math. Perhaps she will marry her boyfriend and first love, Sam.

I like Sarah and believe that she was always destined to be more than a small town teacher. Although, that is what she would have become if a war hadn’t stepped in to guide her in a different direction. No matter what Sarah does, she always remains true to herself.

The other thing about Sarah is she finds the positive side of things. She is the glass-is-half-full type of person.

Sam Carlson

Sam isn’t as book smart as Sarah, but don’t let that set your mind about him. He is popular, a nice guy, and on the football team. The thing about Sam is he has courage in spades, and he keeps his head in a crisis. Well, for the most part, anyway. He can also be a bit cocky, at least at the beginning of our saga.

Sam joins the National Guard because there are no jobs in his hometown, and he needs money to ask Sarah to marry him. Once in the Guard, Sam advances because he is fair and has good leadership skills. When his enlistment is almost over, his unit is called up to the federal level. Now, he is in the Army, whether he wants to be or not.

Sam masters the training and advances in the Army as well. Soon, his unit is sent overseas to the Philippines. Sam is caught up in some big battles and becomes one of the men left behind when MacArthur pulls out of Manilla. This is where things get dicey for Sam. The things that happen are horrible and completely inhumane.

Five Stars

My rating for Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni is five stars. Mr. Dugoni doesn’t disappoint. The story is fantastic, and I felt like I was there with both Sam and Sarah. The research is complete, and all of it is included at the back of the book. If you like biographies with some fiction, I recommend this story. If you don’t like biographies, give it a chance. It may surprise you.

Thank you for dropping by! I hope you enjoyed this review of Hold Strong by Robert Dugoni.

Until the next time,

 

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Reading this book contributed to these challenges:

• 2025 Alphabet Soup-Author Edition-RC JEN
• 2025 Goodreads RC JEN

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