Overview

“This beautifully braided story...reveals the best and worst of humanity. A magnificent work of narrative nonfiction, true to the past and essential for the present.”—Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and 13 Hours An epic true story of the triumph of good over evil. The Boys in the Light follows the parallel journeys of Company D and Eddie Willner, the author’s father, as they are caught up on two sides of World War II. At sixteen, Eddie Willner was among the millions of European Jews rounded up by Hitler’s Nazis. He was forced into slave labor alongside his father and his best friend, Mike, and spent the next three years of his life surviving the death camps, including Auschwitz. Meanwhile, in the United States, boys only a few years older than Eddie were joining the army and heading toward their own precarious futures. Once farmers, factory workers, and coal miners, they were suddenly untested soldiers, thrust into the brutal conflicts of WWII. A company of 3rd Armored Division tankers, led by 23-year-old Elmer Hovland, quickly became battle-hardened and weary, constantly questioning whether the war was worth it. They got their answer when two emaciated boys stepped out of the woods with their tattooed arms raised. The Boys in the Light is a testament to survival against all odds, the strength of the bonds forged during war and the resilience of the human spirit. This extraordinary true story is a must-read for fans of Unbroken by Laura Hillenbrand, The Boys in the Boat by Daniel James Brown, and Erik Larson’s The Splendid and the Vile.

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9780593471272

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Reviews

Praise for The Boys in the Light: “In this beautifully braided story of heroic World War II tank crews and two remarkable Holocaust survivors, Nina Willner reveals the best and worst of humanity – and the best triumphs. The Boys in the Light is a magnificent work of narrative nonfiction, true to the past and essential for the present.”—Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and 13 Hours “In The Boys in the Light Nina Willner tells the extraordinary story of her father’s journey from scion of a middle-class German-Jewish family to teenage Auschwitz escapee to “little brother” of American tankers in the last year of World War II. Deeply researched and wonderfully written, it is a story of love, loss, courage and wartime friendships that ultimately spanned decades. It is also that all-too-rare literary accomplishment—history that is both engrossing and inspirational. Highly recommended.”—Stephen Harding, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Battle ""Nina Willner tells the epic and heartfelt story of two Jewish boys—one of them her father—who miraculously escaped the horrors of a Nazi death camp and went on a desperate trek to freedom in a war-torn landscape. A rescue story for the ages.""—Bruce Henderson, New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers and Midnight Flyboys “With this beautifully composed drama of war-torn Europe, of U.S. soldiers rescuing Jews from the Holocaust, and of the post-war American dreams they all shared, Nina Willner has woven the personal story of a family with the history of global conflict to produce a work of faith and redemption.”—Craig Nelson, author of The First Heroes, Pearl Harbor, and V is for Victory “A gripping, deeply human story of resilience, brotherhood, and moral clarity, The Boys in the Light reminds us why the fight against hatred and indifference still matters today.”—David Chrisinger, author of The Soldier’s Truth ""Quite simply, one of the finest World War II books I have ever read. The Boys in the Light is a remarkable story of depravity, inhumanity, perseverance, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit, combined with the sheer altruistic common decency that shows America as it can and should be.""—John C. McManus Ph.D, author of Hell Before Their Very Eyes

Praise for The Boys in the Light: ""A powerful and eminently readable story of a concentration camp survivor and his American rescuers.""—Kirkus (starred) ""In The Boys in the Light, Nina Willner poignantly recounts the story of two Jewish boys and the American troops who rescued them.""—Wall Street Journal “In this beautifully braided story of heroic World War II tank crews and two remarkable Holocaust survivors, Nina Willner reveals the best and worst of humanity – and the best triumphs. The Boys in the Light is a magnificent work of narrative nonfiction, true to the past and essential for the present.”—Mitchell Zuckoff, New York Times bestselling author of Lost in Shangri-La and 13 Hours “In The Boys in the Light Nina Willner tells the extraordinary story of her father’s journey from scion of a middle-class German-Jewish family to teenage Auschwitz escapee to “little brother” of American tankers in the last year of World War II. Deeply researched and wonderfully written, it is a story of love, loss, courage and wartime friendships that ultimately spanned decades. It is also that all-too-rare literary accomplishment—history that is both engrossing and inspirational. Highly recommended.”—Stephen Harding, New York Times bestselling author of The Last Battle ""Nina Willner tells the epic and heartfelt story of two Jewish boys—one of them her father—who miraculously escaped the horrors of a Nazi death camp and went on a desperate trek to freedom in a war-torn landscape. A rescue story for the ages.""—Bruce Henderson, New York Times bestselling author of Sons and Soldiers and Midnight Flyboys “With this beautifully composed drama of war-torn Europe, of U.S. soldiers rescuing Jews from the Holocaust, and of the post-war American dreams they all shared, Nina Willner has woven the personal story of a family with the history of global conflict to produce a work of faith and redemption.”—Craig Nelson, author of The First Heroes, Pearl Harbor, and V is for Victory “A gripping, deeply human story of resilience, brotherhood, and moral clarity, The Boys in the Light reminds us why the fight against hatred and indifference still matters today.”—David Chrisinger, author of The Soldier’s Truth ""Quite simply, one of the finest World War II books I have ever read. The Boys in the Light is a remarkable story of depravity, inhumanity, perseverance, and the ultimate triumph of the human spirit, combined with the sheer altruistic common decency that shows America as it can and should be.""—John C. McManus Ph.D, author of Hell Before Their Very Eyes “The incredible, true story of her father, Eddie Willner, a German Jew who survived the horrors of the Holocaust. This gripping narrative intertwines a deeply human tale of resilience, unity, and moral strength with a timeless reflection on the fight against hatred…A powerful testament to humanity and perseverance, The Boys in the Light is an unmissable story for WWII–history enthusiasts.”—Booklist “This book gives hope for humanity.”—The Portland Press Herald “A must-read. Especially today.”—Jewish Book Council

Author Information

Nina Willner is the author of two critically acclaimed nonfiction books, The Boys in the Light, which was named Amazon Editors' #3 Best Book of the Year - Top Nonfiction, and Best History Book of 2025, and Forty Autumns, named a Top 15 Nonfiction Book of 2016 by The CS Monitor. Prior to her writing career, Nina was a US Army intelligence officer who led sensitive missions behind the Iron Curtain during the Cold War. After a career in intelligence, Nina worked in Moscow, Minsk, Prague, Ottawa and Istanbul promoting human rights, women’s and children’s causes and the rule of law for the US government, nonprofits and a variety of charities. After years living abroad, she now writes narrative nonfiction full time from her home in Washington DC.

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