Book Review: World War II Remembered

 

 

I saw a story about this book about a year ago on the news.  I made a note to myself that I wanted to read it and pinned it to my books I want to read Pinterest board.  I finally got to read it!

World War II Remembered is a collection of personal, first-hand accounts of 56 of the residents of Kendal at Hanover, a retirement community in New Hampshire.  Over time, we are losing those who have first-hand accounts of this time in history, so I think it's really wonderful that these individuals came together to share their stories and organize them into this book.

Some people are interested in the facts, figures, dates, and military strategy of the war.  I'm much more interested in the individual stories of people's experiences in the early 1940's.  This time in history always fascinates me.  It's a horrible time in history because so many people suffered and died and there were some real atrocities that occurred during the war.  At the same time, there were so many acts of bravery and courage that I find very inspiring.  Almost everyone who was alive at the time was affected in some way by the war and was united in a common cause.  As a result each person has a unique story to tell about their experiences.  Some of those unique stories are collected in World War II Remembered.

Reading this collection of memoirs, you really get a sense of how this war affected everyday life.  It affected everyone, not just those who served in battle, but those who waited at home for their return, and those who lived in other countries.

Another good book to read is Letters from Home by Kristina McMorris.  It's a fictional story in which the characters' lives are changed by World War II.

As we near the Fourth of July, our thoughts turn to the brave men and women who have sacrificed and fought to protect our country.  World War II Remembered is an excellent way to remember those heroic people and read about their stories.