Leora’s Letters by Joy Neal Kidney is seasoned with many luscious literary elements, such as adjectives, alliteration, personification, and similes that combine to make you feel right at home with the characters.

The strong, healthy, family dynamic of the Wilson family is captivating, and it is one of the aspects of this remarkable story that I wish more families today could emulate. I believe every family has strong-willed people in them that help to keep them together just like the pillars of a home, and it did not take long to treasure, and recognize Leora as one of the pillars of the Wilson family.

If you are like me, and are an admirer of great literature, and the elements that help comprise it, then you will fall in love with the imagery that Mrs. Kidney uses to make you feel as if you are experiencing an Iowa winter in January of 1942. In one of the letters written by Donald to the Wilson family, he said something that really resonated with me. He said, “I have to admit that I am ready for about six months on the farm. I sure do have a better appreciation for the simple life” (Kidney 31).

Veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom

As a veteran of Operation Iraqi Freedom, I found combat to be a place where you have a constant concern of being attacked, and from that point on, everything compared to that became simple. These days, whenever I hear someone that has never deployed complain about something, I usually respond with the following: “We could be deployed with a constant concern of getting blown up, or shot at,” and that typically lightens the mood.

In chapter four, there is a moment where Donald was telling the family his account of surviving a battle, and he ended the conversation by saying “I have certainly learned to appreciate the simple things in life (Kidney 85).

If you are a veteran that has deployed, this book will definitely resonate with you, and if you are a family member of veteran that has deployed, I believe that it will resonate with you as well. No matter how grim the situation looked, the Wilson family never stopped clinging to hope, and they never stopped praying. A vital reminder to every one of the best way to navigate tough times.

If you are looking for your next must–read book, I highly recommend that you purchase a copy of Leora’s Letters by Mrs. Joy Neal Kidney. I promise you this, you will not be disappointed!!

Michael Lee Womack is a native of Sanford, North Carolina, and an army veteran who uses poetry for sharing his testimony, as a means of sharing his faith.

He is the author of several books: From A Soldier’s Perspective, The ABC’s of The Gospel: Using the Alphabet to Fulfill the Great Commission, From Gloom To Glory: We Were Meant To Persevere, and A Poetic Exploration Of The Bible: From Genesis To Revelation.

Please visit his Amazon Author Page. You might enjoy following him on X @WomackPoetry26 which is where he posted this welcome review.