It seems that our U. S. veterans keep many war stories to themselves. They are trained in the U. S. military, become patriotic comrades with each other, sent off to war, sometimes return home a hero, then never share the experiences with their family. That was the life Jan Elvin lived with her father. He was a World War II veteran and hero who kept his stories tucked away in his memory.It was a metal box that always sat on her father's desk that was opened upon his death, that spurred Jan Elvin to write The Box From Braunau : In Search of my Father's War. She intersperses the journal writings of her father with actual events that she researched matching the timeline and places where her father was stationed. As she explored his experiences, she came to the realization that her father had suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). His was undiagnosed but the author's insight points to PTSD which would explain her father's silences and anxieties.
This is a dry read but does give you, the reader, an empathy for those who serve our country in particular those who see battle. We must honor their commitment and its impact on their families.
Reviewed by Mrs. Boehm
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