Eight Men Behind Enemy Lines in WWII - an Editorial Review of "Silver Wings Falling Down"

Book Blurb:

MISSING IN ACTION—EIGHT MEN BEHIND ENEMY LINES...

After Pearl Harbor, W.T. Eaves swaps the West Texas oil fields for the skies, earning his silver wings as a bomber pilot in the Army Air Corps. While training in Galveston, the beautiful, dark-eyed Jean captures Eaves’ heart and they marry—just months before he’s sent to war.

Called to aerial combat in the Fifteenth Air Force, Eaves and his B-24 crew run the gauntlet of flak and battle the Luftwaffe to deliver their bombloads. Time and again they watch comrades fall from the skies.

But before completing their thirty missions, luck runs out. Flak destroys an engine and somewhere over Yugoslavia, enemy fighters swarm in for the kill.

Back in Texas, the devastating telegram arrives: “Missing in Action”. For Eaves and his young bride, grit, courage, and faith are their only lifeline—to impossible hope, and to each other.

Silver Wings Falling Down is a powerful true story of love, loyalty, and survival against impossible odds—a tribute to the generation that risked everything for freedom.

Book Buy Link: https://geni.us/Kowff

Author Bio:

Yvonne Kays, an award-winning author of short stories and poetry, was inspired by the true WWII stories of two bomber boys in her own family. Research uncovered unsung heroes with incredible stories of courage and danger, romance and faith, tales that needed to be told. Yvonne has a Masters in Teaching from Lewis and Clark College. She and her husband Keith live in beautiful Central Oregon.

Editorial Review:

“Eaves took another deep breath and exhaled slowly, trying to shake off the alien feeling of dread, residue from the dream. As the twenty-two-year-old pilot of a B-24 bomber, he wore his silver wings proudly, ready to do his part to battle the evil powers striving for world dominance and the destruction of everything he held dear. Pearl Harbor had ignited an intense anger and passion to defend his country. Inspired as a lad by Charles Lindbergh’s daring flight across the Atlantic, he’d chosen to enlist in the Army Air Corps. Receiving his wings fulfilled his boyhood dream. Freedom, and keeping his family safe—that’s worth fighting for. He sighed. All this waiting grated on him. Time to give Hitler a taste of American muscle.”

“Silver Wings Falling Down” by Yvonne Kays is set in World War Two and based on the true story of the author’s maternal uncle, William Eaves. Eaves, a Texan, enlisted in the Army Air Corps, and went to war after Pearl Harbour. The narrative commences in 1944, after a poignant preface and some photographs that tell a story in themselves. Kays skillfully recreates Eaves’ character, his fears, his doubts, his incredible courage. The reviewer has never quite reconciled the ability of the so-called ordinary person to do extraordinary things when called on, and readers will find themselves reflecting on Eaves’ boyhood dream of flying, and exactly where it leads him. Like so many – arguably all - of his generation, Eaves’ life path was disrupted by cataclysmic conflict, as he left a new bride to go to war.

Kays has clearly thoroughly researched all aspects of the conflict that affected her uncle, and the independence and depth of her research transforms this compelling tale of family history into a highly readable novel of wide appeal. The conversations between Eaves and his crew are particularly well-written, illustrating both the tension and the practicality of each mission. The knowledge that Eaves, his crew and others referred to in the novel are real adds an extra dimension to the incredible story told.

“The patriarch spoke to the younger men, and they bowed their heads. He looked at Eaves. “We pray.” Eaves bowed his head also. “Thank You for food. Protect Americanski.” He spoke in broken English, then continued in his own language before pronouncing, “Amen.” The men looked expectantly toward him, indicating that he should eat. It dawned on Eaves that they were waiting for him as their guest to take the first bite. Eaves’ stomach rolled as he looked at the plate before him. He had no appetite at all, but he had to respect the hospitality being offered him by these gracious people. And he needed nourishment to survive.”

This novel is far more than a compilation of flying missions, interesting though that would be. Eaves’ war is best described as varied, and he must adapt to each new stage. The combat scenes are an integral part of a war novel, of course, but equally compelling is the content about Eaves in hospital, using hot water for the first time in months, shaving his beard, and searching for a safe place to store the photo he carries of his bride. The basic daily routine so many of us take for granted is elevated to the status of a rare luxury.

“The forest trail led higher, giving way to boulders and low-lying brush. Eaves’ legs ached from the upward climb and his feet hurt from the rocks that poked through the holes in his boots. He grimaced as another pebble wormed its way under the ball of his foot. He prayed Sherman was doing better. He saw now why George had sent the cart back to Bara. No way a cart could’ve maneuvered these narrow, rocky goat trails. George had kept them in the thick of the forest most of the day, but now as dusk fell, he led them upward toward the summit. He motioned for them to stop by some boulders, as he climbed up on one. Cocking his head, he listened and scanned the skies.”

Eaves has a strong sense of faith, and there are references to this throughout the book. These internal thoughts serve to humanize Eaves’ further, as Kays has taken care to ensure Eaves is portrayed as a real person with detailed characterization, rather than some form of staunch combatant without more. It is only towards the end of the book that the full extent of Eaves’ bravery is set out in conversation with a superior officer – an incredible man indeed, to which this book is an indelible tribute.

“Silver Wings Falling Down” by Yvonne Kays is a fascinating and compelling read. William Eaves, with a boyhood dream of flying, leaves his new bride, flying to fight for his country after the tragedy of Pearl Harbour. The story of his service is movie-worthy and an incredible tribute to this member of The Greatest Generation. In writing about her uncle, Kays has created a page-turner woven full of tension, action and courage.

*****

“Silver Wings Falling Down” by Yvonne Kays receives 4 ½ stars from The Historical Fiction Company

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