Of Windmills and War - Book 1 (The War Series)

“Of Windmills and War” by Diane Moody is the story of the men of the 390th Bomb Group, Third division of the Eighth Air Force, a part of the Greatest Generation and a rescue mission called Operation Chowhound. The story begins 1938 in Chicago, Illinois with Danny McClain instructed by his teacher to acquire a pen pal from a different country, write to him and report on any response received. Danny draws the name Hans Versteeg from the Netherlands. The two boys keep up a correspondence over quite a few years until Danny learns from Hans’ sister, Anya that he had drowned in a skating accident. Danny and Anya keep writing and learning about each other until the Germans overrun Holland and the Netherlands. Danny’s family is very dysfunctional in that his father is a very violent opinionated man who tolerated no discussion or dissention. Mostly everyone stayed out of his way. He had made a decision that his sons would follow in his footsteps and take over his business. Of course, both Joey and Danny have other plans. Joey joins the Navy and Danny eventually joins the Air Force. Anya, family is quite different. Her father is a minister and her mother, devastated by the death of her son, is no longer a strong woman. After the Germans invade and their Jewish friends are systematically taken away, the family hides Jewish refugees and Anya joins the Resistance movement. The story of Danny as a co-pilot of the bog bombers and the missions they fly are as harrowing to read about as I’m sure they actually were. Anya’s life in the Resistance makes her a very strong individual with pent up emotions that she is afraid to show. When Danny is shot down over the Netherlands close to the German border, he makes contact with Anya through the Underground. The clandestine operations of the Resistance are extremely dangerous and deadly. Reading about this chapter in history is both enlightening and frightening. The story is well conceived and well written. It is one of my favorite books. I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from NetGalley.com

As a guy I thought the book was a little mushy but it was a good story and it kept me interested. I visited Amsterdam and other cities in the Netherlands some years back and I remember visiting the Ann Frank house and how much of an impression it made on me. Because of this connection I felt the book had more meaning for me than it otherwise would have. Historical fiction is just that so for those who felt some of the details were off just remember this is fiction with basic history thrown in. However, even if the details were a bit off (which they were) the basic crux of the history was correct. If you want a true and accurate history of the exact details regarding the Netherlands during WW II then you have to go to the history books. But if you want a good read with some history of the period as a backdrop then I highly recommend this book. And regarding the reference to Christianity, my experience from talking to WW II vets fits with what the book.

I am a big fan of historical fiction (from Colleen McCullough and James Michener to Jeffrey Archer, Bernard Cornwell and Ken Follett) and wasn't expecting "Of Windmills and War" to measure up to the works of these writers. However, I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of writing in this book and the way the author brought the characters and story to life. It has been a while since I read a book compelling enough to keep me reading past 2:00 am, but this book did. I particularly liked that the story centered around one of the lesser known (or at least written about) aspects of WWII. We have all read and heard about the atrocities suffered by the Jews, but I thought telling a WWII story about the Dutch resistance from the perspective of a young U.S. teenager who ends up enlisting and becoming a co-pilot as well as from the perspective of a young female in the Netherlands who suffers untold tragedy due to Germain invasion and occupation very interesting. I thought the use of "pen pal" letters and journals early in the book was creative and added to my understanding of the characters in addition to helping set the stage for subsequent chapters. I understand that there may have been some inaccuracies related to dates and details surrounding events during the occupation of the Netherlands, but they did not detract from the story, in my opinion. More importantly, I would be surprised if almost everyone who reads this book does not find something in the relationships between various characters in the book that they can relate to, whether it is father/mother/son/daughter, brother/sister, schoolmates and/or the camaraderie that existed between pilots and flight crews or the Dutch resistance fighters. I found some of the interchange/conversations between characters to be fascinating, but believable, given the circumstances (e.g. banter between flight crew members to lessen tension and fear associated with flying dangerous missions). The book deserves between a 4 and 5 star rating, and I gave it 5 stars because I enjoyed the writing style and story and was surprised at how it held my interest and attention throughout. I have no problem recommending this book to any fan of historical fiction or anyone who thinks they may have an interest in a unique WWII story. It was a joy to read.

OH MY GOSH WOW. I just finished this book and it was AMAZING. I'd downloaded it in January of 2016! But somehow it got lost in my kindle and I stumbled upon it a week ago and thought, "How did I miss this??" I couldn't put it down once I started. OH my goodness. The author's attention to detail is staggering. What those poor people suffered through in Holland, at times made me nauseous, especially what happened to Wim and that baby! Shudder. I loved the letters back and forth, loved the details of Danny's life before the war. I was a bit disappointed when there was no mention of Anya for years, but I know that was just to build up the suspense of what might have been happening to her. And when he finally saw her in person! WOWZA, that was a scene to remember! I loved Danny's character, and his brother, and his mom. Was very glad when a change finally came to his father, long time in coming. Loved all of the details about flying the B-17's and about how the people of Holland survived. THIS BOOK SHOULD BE MADE INTO A MOVIE! OR MAYBE A MINISERIES, LIKE NORTH AND SOUTH BACK IN THE 80'S. :D It is brilliantly written and a wonderful, poignant story. I must say, though, there isn't a lot of happiness and I was glad when I got to read some at the end. The next book seems like it will be chapters upon chapters of sadness, though, so I'm not sure if I'll purchase that, but perhaps. But as for this one, BRAVO TO THE AUTHOR FOR A JOB MORE THAN WELL DONE!

I am going to have to agree with 72% of the reviewers and give this book a well-deserved five-star rating. It is well written, well-researched and is the work of a talented writer. It also sheds light on a little-known humanitarian effort to give emergency help to the starving Dutch people at the end of World War II, “Operation Chowhound.” The plot has been summarized many times by other reviewers, so I will not duplicate their efforts. What I Liked: The problem here is that I liked so much, so I am going to have to hit a few high points. This is an ambitious novel in that it has to set a credible background in three different places: 1930’s Chicago, Holland during the Nazi occupation, and the life of a B-17 crew in the U.S. 8th Air Force. Mrs. Moody handles all these challenges with aplomb. She captures a sense of place and makes it look easy. It is not. I like her dialogue and plotting. Her characters are believable, and the story kept me interested throughout. I really did not notice that the book is a bit longer than average, since there seemed to be no wasted words. The editing is superb. I also liked the spiritual aspects of the novel. I was impressed that Mrs. Moody correctly gave the title of an enlisted bomb-aimer as a “toggler.” This is a fine point, but it clearly shows careful research. What I Did Not Like: Honestly, there is not much that I can say here. One small problem is that I could never get a clear image of what Anya Versteeg looked like. Perhaps I missed her description. I also thought the plot wandered a bit when the action was centered in Holland. Finally, there is one (and only one) scene that did not ring true. “Anya was on him in a flash, shoving a scarf in his mouth at the same instant she kneed him hard in the groin. His eyes bugged briefly before rolling back as he passed out. She helped him fall to the ground to avoid a loud thud, then grabbed his head and swiftly snapped his neck.” I am afraid Mrs. Moody took her cues on hand-to-hand combat from the movies. That is a dangerous thing to do. In the first place, a knee to the groin is quite unlikely to cause instant unconsciousness, unconsciousness so immediate that he is literally out on his feet. Secondly, despite what we have all seen in films, breaking a man’s neck is not at all easy to do. If Anya had extensive training, had unusual upper body strength and the victim was unusually small framed and small-boned, it might be conceivable. But highly unlikely. Why not have her stab him in the back of his neck while he writhed in agony (but fully conscious)? Another problem is that there was no preparation for Anya’s action. If she is so skilled at hand-to-hand combat, there really should have been a bit of prefiguring, otherwise it seems totally out of character. Conclusion: My quibbles are minor, and the qualities of this novel are outstanding. It is a worthy read, and I enjoyed it very much.

Fiction within reality could best describe this book. The fiction is the nice, but a bit drippy part. The horror of WWII is the real part. Also real, was that many soldiers who found and married the love of their life while fighting this war. it's a touching novel worth reading if you like history blended with an incredible story of determination and love. the drippy part might bring a tear to your eye and a smile on your face!

Of Windmills and War by Diane Moody is a heartfelt World War II historical novel that blends romance, faith, and wartime drama. The story follows Danny McClain, from his youth to his career as an American pilot in World War II. Danny and Hans Versteeg became pen pals through an assignment in school. Danny was from Chicago and Hans lived in Utrecht, Netherlands. When Hans died trying to save a young child, Anya, his sister, took over writing to Danny. Once Germany invaded the Netherlands, Anya, as young woman, joined the Dutch Resistance, saving Jewish children and downed airmen. Just like their lives intertwined on opposite sides of the ocean as youths, they now unfolded on opposite sides of the war before ultimately intersecting. The novel captures both the battlefield experience—especially B-17 missions—and the emotional toll of occupation in Holland. This book has strong character development and emotional depth, particularly Anya’s resilience and the evolving relationship between the two leads. The inclusion of real historical elements like Operation Chowhound adds authenticity and impact. The story leans heavily into faith-based themes and God, as both Anya and Danny discover what that means in their lives. That point of view enhanced the emotional connection I had with the book.

I would have given it a 4 since it was well researched and an interesting story. We don't get many novels set in the Netherlands during WWII. However, the outcome of the story was really telegraphed when the hero's pen pal died, and he started writing to the sister. The reader had not doubt where this story was going. So suspense was lacking. The writing lacked some flair. The the author, who obviously spent time with Airmen of the era, and did a lot of research and did a pretty good job of recreating the era, made a mistake in her placement of the navigator's position in a B17. It is behind the pilot; the Norden Bomb Site sat in the front of the plane in the nose. She never even mentioned it, and it was so critical to the accuracy of the 8th Air Force's Bombing Raids. How she could have not mentioned it is a mystery to me. Also the airmen of that era were US Army Air CORPS.

I was two years old when Britain declared war on Germany because of its atrocities and taking what didn't belong to it. Those atrocities multiplied beyond anything that most people could conceive right until the very end of the war. We fought for nearly six long years and I grew up listening to all the radio news and watched the pictorial news at the cinema. We were under the planes dropping bombs on us. We walked amongst the ruins of towns and cities. We mourned for those we lost and we were so utterly proud of our young men and women and those from the British Empire who gave of their best including their lives. Then after our Royal Air Force had kept us from invasion in 1940 and we were hitting Germany hard, Japan attacked both the USA and Britain on the same day sinking Capital ships from both nations and leaving us now fighting on both sides of the world. When America declared War, we all said Thank God, I think. It's ironic that such tragedy brought such relief. I was excited about the 'Yanks' coming and at about the time that General Montgomery was defeating Rommel in North Africa and chasing him right across there, the 'Yanks' started to come in great numbers. We loved them, not just for sweets and gum but for the easy going, kind nature that most of them had. Two were billeted with my aunt. One was like having another kind uncle around who kept you safe. The other was more disassociated but both gave us a good insight into American life. Burtonwood, Americas biggest European air base was 5 miles away so I saw and could identify every aircraft from even its sound. The sky filled with American aircraft all day on D-Day and then all the soldiers left our town to fight in France. When I grew up I visited and explored as much of America as I could year after year. Holland is very close to Britain in more ways than one. It's people were valiant. Thank you to the author for writing this book.

Le vicende narrate nel romanzo mi hanno insegnato molto sulla guerra nei Paesi Bassi, la storia è perciò interessante, ma chi l'ha scritta (o tradotta?) sembra semplicemente trascrivere ciò che le è stato raccontato dal protagonista.

4.5 stars Excellent, well written story. I found it compelling and informative. I hadn't heard of Operation Chowhound and was blessed reading about it.Thank you Diane for writing this special story and giving us a true picture of what it was really like for both the Jewish people and those who helped them.

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