"The Boys in the Light: An Extraordinary World War II Story of Survival, Faith, and Brotherhood| Reviewed by Chris Stuckenschneider

Immersive, poignant, inspiring and informative, “The Boys in the Light” is creative non-fiction at its best, a heartfelt story by Nina Willner, daughter of Eddie Willner, a Holocaust survivor who suffered the worst treatment imaginable in concentration camps, including Auschwitz.

This well-told, literary offering isn’t standard war fare. It’s a book with a huge heart, a tale that swoops in and carries you off, holding you at rapt attention throughout. Eloquent and personal, the author simultaneously follows events that occur for soldiers in tanks with Company D, 3^rd Armored Division, and the daily terror Eddie Willner and his Jewish friend Mike Swaab face—fear, torture and death ever present.

Years before, in prewar Germany, the successful Willner family tried to adjust to ever-worsening conditions for Jewish people until they had to escape—so began their life on the run—their luck finally running out when they are caught and sent by train to the camps.

In the United States, citizens weathered the Depression and entered the war, a wave of patriotism prompting young men to enlist, many of whom had never left home, thrown into conflict thousands of miles away, completely unprepared for what lay ahead.

Elmer Hovland was the son of immigrants from Norway, who settled in Minnesota. “Though hard work, dust storms, and privation were harsh realities, it didn’t occur to Elmer that life was difficult…he faced his days tilling the soil and baling hay with eager optimism.” Elmer was raised to be faith-filled and community minded.

Sammy DeCola was from Boston—an “artful dodger” sort of character, the direct opposite of Elmer. Food was front and center in his Italian immigrant family, and Sammy was his ma’s favorite. When she died unexpectedly, Sammy rebelled. Not even working long hours in his dad’s diner kept Sammy on right path.

In the war, Elmer and Sammy would find themselves in Company D—Elmer as the steadfast leader of the company, Sammy as a cook dubbed “Pepsi,” by his buddies, a solid mainstay who kept the company fed, often improvising with meager rations.

Shortly before the war ends, Eddie and Mike, manage to escape the Nazis by flinging themselves in a river, thus avoiding being taken down by dogs. The two ran and hid for days, finally happening onto Company D. Imagine the shock the Americans must have had seeing the emancipated young men appear in tattered blue striped uniforms in front of their tank, arms raised.

It's the individual stories of ordinary people who lived bravely and heroically that make ”The Boys in the Light” such a standout read. Entering the war unschooled for battle, the men of Company D form a caring, cohesive unit—never becoming so jaded by battle that they fail to reach out to two young Jewish men from the opposite side of the world, a bond of friendship formed that lasts a lifetime.

Buy the Book.