What Leora Never Knew: A Granddaughter's Quest for Answers

by Joy Neal Kidney

Five brothers served. Only two came home.

What Leora Never A Granddaughter’s Quest for Answers is Joy Neal Kidney’s journey of research and remembrance, and the companion book to Leora’s The Story of Love and Loss for an Iowa Family During World War II.

Joy Neal Kidney’s new book, What Leora Never Knew : A Granddaughter’s Quest for Answers , masterfully captures the essence of “The Greatest Generation” through her family lens. – John Busbee, The Culture Buzz

We must never forget these young men who served our nation and who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their lives. - Steve Snyder, author of Shot The True Story of Pilot Howard Snyder and the Crew of the B-17 Susan Ruth

What Leora Never Knew is a part of the Leora's Stories series, published jointly with Joy Neal Kidney and Legacy Press Books.
www.legacypressbooks.org

242 pages, Hardcover

Published October 17, 2023

About the author

Joy Neal Kidney, the oldest granddaughter of the heroine of the "Leora Stories," is the author of "Leora’s Letters: The Story of Love and Loss For an Iowa Family During World War II," "Leora's Dexter Stories: The Scarcity Years of the Great Depression," "Leora's Early Years: Guthrie County Roots," and "What Leora Never Knew: A Granddaughter's Quest for Answers."

A graduate of the University of Northern Iowa and married to a Vietnam Air Force veteran, Joy lives in central Iowa.

Reviews

[David LaBelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

When I finished reading What Leora Never Knew, I didn’t know whether to clap or cry. Internally, I did both. Knowing the details of what happened to each young pilot was sobering and sad. Yet, as truth often brings, there is a comforting peace in knowing the details about those we love and have lost.

Like the Joads in Steinbeck’s Grapes of Wrath, we are introduced to the dreams, hardships and heartbreaks of Clabe and Leora Wilson and their children. After just a few pages, they feel like family, and the letters Joy Kidney recovered and shared, were written to us. And unlike fictional tales, these are true stories of love and courage of average Americans in the shadow of war and depression. A tireless researcher, Kidney has an unusual gift for sorting through thousands of letters, interviews and government documents and then weaving a story so personal it is as if we are sitting by a wood stove in winter listening to her tell it.

I recommend you start at the beginning with Leora’s Letters and read each book in the order they were written.

David LaBelle
Author of Bridges and Angles: The Story of Ruth

[Tyler Granger · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's an edited version of the paragraph:

Joy Neal Kidney's poignant prose in "What Leora Never Knew," the fourth installment of her Leora saga, amplifies the drama of a family grappling with hope and grief against the backdrop of WWII. While life carries on, they wait for news of their sons missing in action. Kidney, meticulously weaving personal stories into a wider American tapestry, previously explored this Iowa family's resilience in "Leora's Letters," where three sons were lost to the war. Now, she delves into the lives of her own uncles, uncovering heartbreaking truths alongside details of their military service. The raw emotions, from birthday news of a MIA marking to the comfort of understanding, resonate deeply. Kidney's talent for weaving facts and letters into an intimate narrative draws readers into this true saga of ordinary heroes - farm boys, truck drivers, and factory workers who sacrificed everything. Their story is a reminder of our debt to their dedication and a call to carry their torch. Start with "Leora's Letters" and embark on this unique Midwestern treasure, not for sorrow, but for the heroic echoes of a generation gone by.