Far too often, when it comes to the horrors of war, it is the common soldier who gets overlooked in the grand scheme of things. The emphasis of history always hones in on the iconic figures both on and off the battlefield, and the events playing out before them, rather than the everyday soldier just fighting to survive and grow. These are the soldiers most impacted by the events of the war, and how they must deal with the consequences upon their return home. Yet what happens to the soldiers captured at the height of a war who must become prisoners of a war they never wanted to be a part of?

That is the question that faces author Helga McKee, as the author shares their book, My Journey of Captivity: The Story of a German POW. The book follows Hans Gussmann, a German soldier who spent nearly 3 whole years as a prisoner of the Allies during WWII. The book stays away from the battlefields of the infamous war, and instead hones in on the daily life Gussmann faced as a prisoner during that time. Using notes and entries in his prison notebooks, the life of Hans both during his time as a prisoner and the life he carved out for himself afterwards as an American citizen are sure to delight audiences.

The author did an incredible job of capturing the passion and heart of the soldier’s struggles during this time. Based on the soldier’s notebooks and memories, the daughter of the soldier shares everything from the humor and wit found in his writings, to the vast difference between a German soldier within the German army and a Nazi. The care and attention to detail found in the soldier’s writings and the way he was able to not only capture those details but the emotion behind them was profound to read. The reader could feel the anger and hurt as the soldier and his fellow inmates felt a surge of hope dashed by their captors, and the imagery in the author’s writing allowed the reader to feel themselves transported into this prison camp and the era as a whole.

This is the perfect read for those who enjoy non-fiction books, especially those who like biographies & memoirs which have a hint of history behind them. The depth of emotional storytelling fused with the rich history and culture the author brought with them into their experiences, and the education that came with this memoir allows the readers to understand a perspective rarely ever seen in WWII literature.