The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War

My father was never in the armed service. My husband came very close to being drafted during the Vietnam War, but thankfully remained within the protective confines of my care. I have always felt emotionally connected to all of our sons and daughters who have served in war. Being a mother of three boys...nurturing and protecting them as they grew...my greatest fear was always losing a child in a war. But after reading this book, I've seen how tragic war is for the living who survive. How exposure to the horrific and insane destruction of humanity harms and haunts our innocent children. How sad after hundreds of years through education, experiences, advances in technology and studying human nature, we have learned nothing to prevent the destruction of our most important assets.... Our Children. Thank you Jan Elvin for your insightful, heart-wrenching journey into the private corners of your family's struggles with PTSD. I shed many tears during this revelation.

From all outward appearances, Jan Elvin's father was a successful, well respected and happy man. However, as part of the infantry in Europe, he participated in brutal battles, lost many of his men, was wounded himself, returned to battle and entered Nazi concentration and slave labor camp, meeting their highly traumatized inmates immediately after liberation. While he returned home a decorated veteran, and went on to own and run a most successful suburban newspaper, he was besieged by demons that lurked just below the surface. Bill Elvin was affected by what we now know as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. But without benefit of a diagnosis or any notions of treatment, the Elvin family found themselves dealing with confusing mixed signals. Ms. Elvin tells her Dad's fascinating story, skillfully describing his early life as a Scottish immigrant, his war experiences (artfully using his own War Journal), his return to civilian life, and his progression to old age. She not only tells his story, but provides great context, by explaining how his War experiences affected his own life and the life of his family. I highly recommend this interesting and very readable book to anyone struggling to better understand the challenges faced by combat veterans, as well as those with an interest in learning more about WW2 combat and the Nazi concentration camps.

The Box from Braunau speaks to mothers, fathers, husbands, wives, lovers, sons and daughters of anyone who ever served in time of war. This shares the story of those who serve to those of us who stay behind and never really understand the impact of war on the human spirit. Through the eyes of a daughter, Jan Elvin has conveyed the story of her family's personal struggle with the perils of what is left after war. At the same time, she doesn't forgot to share the extraordinary measure of a man in the most difficult of circumstances. Key to this heartfelt story are the letters and journals of the author's father along with her keen intensity to follow the story through research. The book is very compelling and continues to "squeeze the heart." My husband, retired Navy aviator, is currently captivated by the book and often wants to share excerpts from the book as he reads.

Jan Elvin's deep dive into her father's life story reveals the subtle and powerful impact of WWII on the men who fought in the trenches and the familes who waited for them back home. I was fully engaged in the book from beginning to end. Ms. Elvin writes with insight, wit, humor and frankness. Her work is well-researched and enriched by excerpts from her father's vivid accounts of his life as an officer in the infantry. My father was a bomber pilot in WWII. This book helped me better connect to his era and understand why his war experience as a young man made such an indelible impact on the rest of his life. The Box from Braunau engages the reader in several interconnected stories: a father-daughter story, a war story, a love story, and the mystery of an untold story. I loved it and highly recommend it!