Thank you to @duttonbooks and @netgalley for the advance copy of this incredible book! All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I read Forty Autumns in September of 2023. It was one of the best books I have ever read. So when I heard Nina Willner was writing another book about her father I just knew I needed to read it!

This book gives a parallel account of Eddie Willner and Company D. Eddie and his family attempted to escape into Switzerland but were caught before they could escape. They were shipped off to Auschwitz where they endured 3 years of some of the worst evils known to man.

Ultimately while on the Death March Eddie and his best friend, Mike, were able to escape. They fled for their lives through the woods living on whatever they could find to eat.

Then one day they stepped from the darkness into the light where they came face to face with Elmer Hovland and Company D, a company of the 3rd Armored Division tankers.

I appreciated the background context the author gave into each person’s life. She gave us a glimpse into their lives and the life events that shaped their character. The writing style was a bit different from Forty Autumns. The Boys in the Light reads more like a history book but in a way that keeps you interested.

I don’t want to give away any important details so I will just say the end if the book had mr in tears, but happy tears. After reading of so much heart ache, loss, and just plain evil the happy ending was needed.

Nina Willner’s family history is so very unique. If you read Forty Autumns you really need to read The Boys in the Light to know the full story.

⚠️Content warning: due to the nature of the topic there is mention of torture, death, bombings, and war. There were about 11 uses of curse words and they were in direct quotes.

The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner

This was a touching, narrative nonfiction that told two stories at once.

In terms of nonfiction, this would be a great introductory book to WWII and survivor stories. It wasn’t overly graphic nor was it bogged down with details. It did a decent job of setting the stage of the world and what was happening without getting into the nuance of the period. It was straightforward, perhaps a bit oversimplified at times, and emotional in all the appropriate places. It did a good job at managing the main characters’ stories. I felt like I knew who these men were, yet I always felt a little removed from them as well.

Overall, it was a straightforward read that showed the strength and resilience of humans. Readers looking to start into WWII stories, fans of narrative nonfiction, and fans of emotionally charged stories will enjoy this one.

I haven't read Nina Willner's previous book, but after reading this one, Forty Autumns: A Family's Story of Courage and Survival on Both Sides of the Berlin Wall is moving up to the top of my TBR!!

This is a WWII story unlike any other I've read in the sweetest way. Nina has written this book chronicling her father's story from pre-Holocaust, through his experiences at several camps, to his escape and rescue. The thing that makes this one stand out for me is Eddie (Nina's father) and his best friend Mike's integration into D Company of the US Army after they're picked up. I've read many stories of Holocaust survivors and WWII veterans, but none of them go quite like this!! The brotherhood that was formed was so incredibly special and a true joy to witness through the text.

Eddie and Mike are European Jews. They met at Auschwitz and became inseparable. Eventually, they make their escape and after 5 days of wandering, they come face to face with a group of American soldiers--D Company, led by young Elmer Hovland. This unit takes the two boys into their midst and the rest, as they say, is history.

This is a must read for anyone interested in WWII/the Holocaust and is incredibly readable. I'm so excited for it to hit the shelves in bookstores next week so others have a chance to learn about these incredible men and read their stories!! Thanks to NetGalley and Dutton Books for the eARC!

The Boys in the Light
Excellent war book for those who do not like war books. It can be ‘enjoyed’ by folks from high school age to grandparents. The narration shifts between a group of young (18-20) American Christian Army recruits and two Jewish German boys who are thrown into Auschwitz to work, because they are strong enough to escape the gas chambers–at first. The horrors these young men face as they mature under unimaginable circumstances into strong, ethical human beings is treated with great sensitivity. Bonds are formed between the young men that helps them to survive, and are retained long after they return home. As in war, not everyone survives--- but the book ends on a note of optimism.

This is a book about the author's father, and that is fine. I am sure that I would write a book about my parents if there was absolutely anything interesting about either of them; they grew up on the North Texas prairie, went to school, spent unremarkable careers in education, raised my sister and me, and got divorced. (You would have to go way far back--and I have--to find anyone of the least bit of interest in my family tree. Three unremarkable Civil War generals, the guy who shot Stephen Decatur, and the ship's carpenter on the MAYFLOWER. Nobody you could write a book about, and too bad.)

THE BOYS IN THE LIGHT is a portmanteau; two books for the price of one. The first is the tale of the author's father, a German Jewish boy who escaped to France, was hidden in a small vineyard, but was captured and sent to Auschwitz while the rest of his family perished. The second is a BAND OF BROTHERS-level review of a tank company. led by a stoic Minnesotan and fed by a voluble Italian from Boston.

There are, for better or worse, familiar enough patterns for stories. (Willner seems to have made the conscious decision to pitch her book for readers who have never read a book about the World War II era, and I can't fault that decision.) And, well, she's writing about her dad and the people who rescued him from captivity and starvation, so there's that. It's a good story, and well-told. If THE BOYS IN THE LIGHT is a little sentimental and sappy in spots, that's fine. If you can't be sentimental and sappy about your dad, and the Greatest Generation who fought their way through Europe for the cause of his freedom, what can you be sentimental and sappy about? I ask you.

There is a danger in over-familiarity in subject matter. When I had finished The Boys in the Light by Nina Willner, I was both satisfied with the central narrative but very let down about other aspects. Let's start with the very good.

Willner is telling the story of three men in World War II. One of them is actually her father and the other two American G.I.s. I won't spoil too much about each of their journeys, but Willner hits all the notes you want from this type of narrative. It is harrowing and emotional with proper payoffs for all involved. It is also very straightforward, so if you haven't tried a book like this before then I highly recommend it.

The bad is mostly Willner's handling of the greater societal stories around World War II, specifically on the American front. Willner tries to condense a lot into a small amount of pages and falls into the trap of both oversimplification and outright errors. Her summation of FDR, the New Deal, and Charles Lindbergh made me cringe. (Side note: If you read the book and don't see the problems, please read America First by H.W. Brands.)

However, when I looked at the book overall, I still felt that Willner did an excellent job with the story she was trying to tell. While I wish these other aspects were as insightful as the rest, most people will not notice and it doesn't directly affect the main story. In summary, World War II nerds may scratch their heads a few times, but there is still a lot to love about this book.

(This book was provided as an advance copy by NetGalley and Dutton Books.)

I can't even express enough how grateful I am to have a NetGalley ARC of this book at no cost to me. As someone who loves Holocaust history and an avid reader of, this book is a top favorite.

The author not only covers the ones who had faced the horrors of the Holocaust, but a group of American soldiers who are unsure why they are there until stumbling upon 2 near death young boys. Not following normal protocol, the unit takes in these 2 young men. In the end, they end up shaping the future for these 2 young men. Life long friendships are formed. l

This is a must read for any WWII reader. Just make sure you have tissues readily available. There were several times I had to stop and let the tears dry up before continuing. If I hadn't been released to go back to work, I would have finished this book in one sitting. It was hard to put down.

Beautifully written, a tale necessary for everyone to read, especially in today’s world. Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher, Penguin Dutton.

A true story of US soldiers in WWII. The horrors they went through were atrocious. It was a story that kept me reading, trying to be hopeful. This is a new author to me..