It takes an incredibly gifted writer to seamlessly blend four distinct, yet interrelated stories into one superbly crafted book. One author who has clearly accomplished this challenge is Nina Willner. In her volume, The Boys in the Light, she melds four incredible accounts into one exceptional book. It is a perfect illustration of the old adage, “the sum is greater than its parts.”
As was emphasized in the above paragraph, The Boys in the Light provides readers with four separate and interconnected accounts. I believe to begin to understand the volume, it is valuable to provide a synopsis of each. It is important to note that each of the accounts is truly worthy of its own standalone volume. However, when blended together, they provide a superlative example of the power of the human spirit, the unbreakable bonds that can be forged in war, and the incredible impact of taking care of one another.
The first account within Willner’s book focuses on her father, Eddie. The author details her father’s life as a German Jew growing up during the rise of Hitler to his family ultimately being sent to Auschwitz III and their subsequent experiences in the concentration camp. During Eddie’s captivity, he would form an extraordinary friendship with a Dutch Jewish young man named Maurits “Mike” Swaab. Mike would play a prominent role throughout this story. Nina Willner’s discussion of this period is compelling and highly emotional.
As Willner tells her father’s story, she concurrently (alternating chapters) focuses on two young Americans, Elmer Hovland from rural Minnesota and Sammy DeCola (appropriately nicknamed “Pepsi”) from the Boston suburbs. In her treatment, she examines their upbringing, enlistment into the Army, and their initial service with the 3rd Armored Division in World War II right after D-Day. This provides readers with an outstanding background of these two soldiers who would have such a dramatic impact on the lives of Eddie and Mike.
The third story within the story is how Eddie and Mike met Elmer and Pepsi. The author details how Eddie and Mike escaped from a Concentration Camp force march and strived to make it to the American lines. The young men would eventually be discovered upon elements of D Company, 32nd Armored Regiment, 3rd Armored Division. These elements included the company commander, Hovland, and the company’s head cook, DeCola.
The author superbly recounts the harrowing journey of Eddie and Mike, their linkup with D Company, the company’s eventual “adoption” of the two young men, and the interactions between the group for the remainder of the War. Within all this, she is able to beautifully articulate the emotions of Eddie and Mike during this period. She also describes how the American soldiers embraced Eddie and Mike and cared for them.
The final account of The Boys in the Light addresses the lives of the men following World War II. For Eddie and Mike, this was highlighted by emigrating to the United States where they became citizens and both serving in the military. Eddie served in the Army for over twenty years and then was a civil servant for an additional twenty. Mike served in the Air Force for twenty-two years and then worked in security at JFK Airport. Each of them was incredibly active in their communities and in Holocaust awareness projects.
Elmer and Pepsi would leave the military following the war. Elmer would ultimately start his own construction company and dedicate his life to his faith and supporting his community. Pepsi returned to his family’s dinner and would open two more with his brothers. Besides the above, the author also features what became of some of the other D Company soldiers who also figured prominently in the volume.
The most poignant portion of this account keys on the unbreakable bonds forged in war. The author describes how D Company held reunions for almost fifty years. Willner reinforces the importance of this annual event when she states, “The reunions kept them going, their fidelity to one another becoming even more cemented in time. Always happy to see one another, they greeted each other joking, poking, and chiding about how they had physically changed over the years. At one reunion, Fred arrived from Chattanooga, gazed around the room, took in the balding heads and ample girths, and said, ‘Boys, I look at this bunch and it makes me wonder how we won the war’” (p. 263).
During these reunions the subject of what had happened to Eddie and Mike always came up. Not surprisingly, Eddie and Mike had the same questions about what had happened to the soldiers of D Company. In fact, the entire Willner family shared optimism for decades that they would find answers, but disappointment finally settled in. The author shares the following sentiments, “Would we ever find them? I wondered as a child. Would they ever know the critical role they had played in my father’s life—in all of our lives? After nearly five decades of searching, we came to accept that they were lost to us forever and would just remain in my father’s memory” (p. 265).
Nina Willner details the hunt for information and how the hard work finally paid off as answers were indeed found. These answers would result in an inconceivable reunion almost six decades after the end of World War II between Eddie Willner (Mike had passed away several years earlier) and many of the members of D Company, including Elmer and Pepsi. The author perfectly captures the emotions and impact of reunion in the following: “The reunion of the Holocaust survivor and the soldiers who rescued him was deeply fulfilling for all. The story had finally come full circle. Eddie was at peace, having finally found his big brothers to whom he felt he owed so much, and the old soldiers were somehow made whole knowing that Eddie and Mike had made it to America and had thrived” (p. 277).
There are many strengths that enable Nina Willner to blend these stories into one tremendous reading experience. The first is the author’s superlative writing skills. From start to finish, this book is crafted in a highly conversant style. This is an overall story filled with the full spectrum of emotions. Willner is able to convey these emotions to readers. The Boys in the Light is the proverbial page turner.
Tied directly to the author’s writing skills are her outstanding organizational skills. As was highlighted earlier, this is a volume composed of four accounts blended together. Most authors would not have attempted this challenge. Those who did, more than likely, would have produced a book which would be difficult to read and disjointed. This is not the case in The Boys in the Light, which possesses an outstanding flow and Willner is outstanding at making seamless transitions.
One excellent decision made by Willner is to provide readers with the big picture of the war throughout the volume. As the author tells this incredible story, she interjects what was occurring strategically during the war and in society. I found this greatly puts things in perspective. To achieve this, Willner conducted excellent research that readers will acknowledge and appreciate.
The final strength I would like to address is the relevance of the photographs the author has selected. Within the volume, she has inserted over forty photos. The collection touches on all the people highlighted in the volume and on many of the significant events as well. These visuals truly personalize the book and assist the reader in better understanding each of the key people in the story.
In summary, The Boys in the Light is a special book. It is a great overall story that is superbly written and organized. It is one of those rare volumes that will spark a myriad of emotions within each reader. Nina Willner has crafted a book that each reader will truly remember. It is also one of those rare books readers will hope will be made into a movie.