An Important & Necessary Read! by Elizabeth Gauffreau
What Leora Never Knew : A Granddaughter’s Quest for Answers is the fourth book in the series Joy Neal Kidney has written about her maternal grandmother Leora Goff Wilson, beginning with Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family in World War II. Each book can be read as a stand-alone, but I would recommend reading the entire series–and reading it in order–Leora’s Letters, Leora’s Dexter Stories, Leora’s Early Years, and What Leora Never Knew.
Kidney’s quest for answers about the fate of her three uncles killed serving their country in World War II began in earnest with her grandmother’s death in 1987. Leora had left a legacy of family letters, which brought back the full extent of pain and grief the surviving family members experienced, in particular Leora’s two daughters, Doris, Kidney’s mother, and Darlene, her aunt.
Kidney was determined to discover and document as much information as she could about the specific circumstances of her uncles’ deaths to keep their memories alive for future generations of her family. As it turned out, the Leora books are now part of the historical record not only for the State of Iowa but for the entire nation.
What Leora Never Knew is the story of Kidney’s research process and findings about the circumstances of each uncle’s death and the aftermath of those deaths. As detailed in the book, Kidney became a highly skilled (and dogged!) researcher. I was very impressed by the previously-classified military records she had been able to obtain and the range of resources she employed to discover the missing pieces of her uncles’ stories.
The first section of the book introduces readers to the Wilson family, with particular emphasis on the three brothers who were lost, Dale, Danny, and Junior. Some of the information appears in prior books in the series, but it is expanded upon in this volume. These chapters cover each brother’s entry into the service, his training, the day-to-day life of the pilots, the larger context of military operations, and notification to the Wilson family of each brother’s loss, Dale and Danny missing in action, Junior killed in a training accident.
The second section of the book presents the military records that tell the story of each plane’s loss, including horrific eye witness accounts, the disposition of Junior’s body, and the searches to find Dale’s and Danny’s remains. Kidney’s matter-of-fact tone when discussing military operations, the details of the brothers’ assignments, and the missions they went on, followed by the specific circumstances of each death and subsequent search for their remains left me incredibly sad.
The official military documents, particularly the lists of personal effects–”Pants, sweat, Shirt, sweat, Drawers, wool, Undershirts, wool” (p. 85)–really brought home the fact that these were three ordinary, decent young men who were cut down before they had a chance to begin their adult lives, all for love of country. What Leora Never Knew, was an emotional read for me but an important and necessary read, both for the history of this country and for its future. I cannot recommend it highly enough.
Elizabeth Gauffreau is the author of the fascinating novel, Telling Sonny, as well as the poignant Grief Songs: Poems of Love & Remembrance.
Her reviews are such gifts to readers and authors alike.
Please take a look at Liz’s website.
Here is her Amazon Author Page.
