MISSING: A World War II Story of Love, Friendships, Courage, and Survival

Reviews

1. 

   Sheryl Grove – August 8, 2024

   Wonderful book!
   This is a gripping read that seamlessly intertwines the historical backdrop of WWII with a deeply heartfelt personal story. It truly captures the complexities of the war era. What truly sets this book apart is its poignant exploration of the human experience, as Evans delves into themes of loss, resilience, and the enduring power of hope and faith. His book inspired me in many, many ways, as well as, enhancing my knowledge and understanding of events.

2. 

   M. Glish – August 8, 2024

   A moving story about a young American who answered the call of his country
   This is mostly a love story. Two young adults got married in the rush of going to war — probably too early. But both were made of stern stuff and their love lasted through Don’s training and then deployment to Europe. The love letters provide a moving backdrop to the story.I felt the story was marred by an attempt to turn it into a history of the war in Europe. I skipped past most of the irrelevant history. It felt like a distraction. It was well-researched in the main, but had many silly errors, e.g., calling the bombing of England in 1940 “blitzkrieg” and citing the date of an award ceremony after the Battle of the Bulge as January 8, 1944.The historical backdrop of the POW camp was pretty good. If this book is ever updated, pleases remove the fat and let Don and his wife tell the story with fewer digressions.

3. 

   Jos – August 8, 2024

   Lovely Tribute
   I was very touched by this book. Excellent writing. The in depth explanation of pilot training was all new to me. The excellent description of the Battle of the Bulge gave a good understanding of what happened there that I might not have understood if I had read many books about that engagement. I worked with a lady whose husband was in that battle. Growing up, my neighbors were Bataan Death March survivors, an lwo Jima survivor and my own father was in the 82nd Airborne and trained the troops for war. I worked with a woman whose whole family was killed in front of her because they were Jews. Thank you for this book. I hope succeeding generations will understand that freedom isn’t free. It costs lives. Thank God for people like your father and his friends that understood this. Well done!

4. 

   Amazon Customer – August 8, 2024

   a very good read.
   Very well written. An emotional roller coaster as you experience the horrors of war. And the emotional tole of loved ones left behind.

5. 

   Singer – August 8, 2024

   Great read
   If you like reading about WWII and the European US Prisoners you will enjoy this read. Read this book in 5 days.

6. 

   Amazon Customer – August 8, 2024

   Initially I was not enthusiastic about this book. I had hoped to learn about the exploits of a fighter pilot. This story doesn’t go deep into flying. It traces the experience of one fighter pilot. Incidently, the author is writing about his father. Don Evans starts out seemingly as the ‘all -American’ boy who excels at everything, especially at sports, in high school and meets a beautiful cheer – leader in his school, then ends up learning to fly and is sent to England. It was at this point when I first started to see what the book is about. Evans is a clean-living truly decent person who went to war for all the right reasons- fulfilling his duty for the free world. His colleagues in the squadron were similar. They didn’t want to be there but the call of duty was too strong. Then Evans was shot down and captured. His captors were hardened soldiers don’t see their enemy as people and treated them as expendable. We see the effects of this horrible attitude on Evans as the story unfolds. By the end of the book, I developed a very high respect for Evans and his colleagues who may have been representative of a large proportion of American soldiers who served in WW2. Although the story winds down soon after Evans return to his young bride, it’s clear that his war experience had a major impact on the rest of his life. PTSD is a common diagnosis in soldiers.The author did a superb job. For me the book was primarily a story of the effect of the war experience on a good (young) man. But, the author also did something usually not done in this type of book. He provided background histories for each of the war experiences his father participated in. For example, he described the Battle of the Bulge in detail so we could see exactly what role Evans played in this battle. We learned about the roles of Eisenhower, Patton, Bradley and Montgomery. And he also gave us the background on the POW camps that housed the air force POWs.I highly recommend this book for a personal experience of what it was like to be a P-47 pilot in WW2. Don Evans was a hero- we are all fortunate that he and others like him served on our side in WW2!