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

Jan Elvin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: May 2009

As a small child, Jan Elvin thought very little about the tin box with the simple inscription her father had brought home from World War II. To her young eyes, it seemed ordinary enough, featuring a rough etching of a man and woman with the words, "Braunau 1944." What she would later discover is that the box had been a gift from an inmate at a German slave labor camp when her father was just a young soldier. And what it contained would start her on a long journey to uncover some of the fascinating and horrifying history surrounding the Second World War-as well as a search to understand the man forever haunted by its memories. The Box from Braunau is both a memoir of a father-daughter relationship damaged by the ghosts of war, and a chronicle of a World War II veteran whose return to civilian life was permanently scarred by nightmares of combat and concentration camps. We explore the lives of Bill Elvin and his daughter through excerpts from the diary he kept during the war and private letters, as well as newspaper articles he wrote as a journalist on his return. We follow him from his first days on the battlefield as a lieutenant in Patton's Army to his time at the Ebensee concentration camp where he witnessed first-hand the prisoners' sufferings brought about by Nazi atrocities. Through his life, we gain a new understanding of the War and its effects on the men and women who fought in it. Featuring exclusive interviews with family members and fellow soldiers, as well as with survivors of the camps, The Box from Braunau is an illuminating look at war through the eyes of one family.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"This is father-daughter memoir at its most poignant." --Sacramento Bee

“Recognizing that her father probably suffered from undiagnosed post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), Elvin offers an honest and unsentimental account that should benefit soldiers past and present now experiencing PTSD, as well as their families and all readers interested in the consequences of PTSD. She also shows that asking respectful questions can facilitate the healing and understanding of traumatic war experiences.” --Library Journal

Book Description

As a small child, Jan Elvin thought very little about the tin box with the simple inscription her father had brought home from World War II. To her young eyes, it seemed ordinary enough, featuring a rough etching of a man and woman with the words, “Braunau 1944.”  What she would later discover is that the box had been a gift from an inmate at a German slave labor camp when her father was just a young soldier. And what it contained would start her on a long journey to uncover some of the fascinating and horrifying history surrounding the Second World War—as well as a search to understand the man forever haunted by its memories.

The Box from Braunau is both a memoir of a father-daughter relationship damaged by the ghosts of war, and a chronicle of a World War II veteran whose return to civilian life was permanently scarred by nightmares of combat and concentration camps. We explore the lives of Bill Elvin and his daughter through excerpts from the diary he kept during the war and private letters, as well as newspaper articles he wrote as a journalist on his return. We follow him from his first days on the battlefield as a lieutenant in Patton’s Army to his time at the Ebensee concentration camp where he witnessed first­hand the prisoners’ sufferings brought about by Nazi atrocities. Through his life, we gain a new understanding of the War and its effects on the men and women who fought in it. Featuring exclusive interviews with family members and fellow soldiers, as well as with survivors of the camps, The Box from Braunau is an illuminating look at war through the eyes of one family.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Hardcover: 272 pages
• Publisher: AMACOM; 1 edition (May 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0814410499
• ISBN-13: 978-0814410493
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,534,315 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A powerful story with universal appeal, June 18, 2009

By 

Tracy E. Patterson (Greensboro, North Carolina) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War (Hardcover)

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!

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Excellent book: Increases understanding of the impact of combat on individuals and families, July 26, 2009

By 

Joan (Washington, DC United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War (Hardcover)

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.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Insightful read that touches the heart with candor and humor!, July 25, 2009

By 

G. Neibauer - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Box from Braunau: In Search of My Father's War (Hardcover)

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.