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Aaron's War: A Novel of War and Devotion
Aaron’s War is a classic redemption story about a boy who can’t kill and is Jewish fighting the Nazis in WWII to fulfill his patriot duty. Aaron Vanko enlists to fight the Nazis, but the Iowa farm boy is conflicted over whether he can kill another human. Hours before being deployed, Aaron discovers he is a Jew, further disrupting his sense of self. Despite his moral dilemma, Aaron carries out his patriotic duty. He returns haunted by nightmares and then flees Iowa to protect his loved ones from himself.
- GenresHistorical Fiction
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 18, 2024
23 people are currently reading
30 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 19, 2024
very thought provoking read
McMaster has accomplished three
things in this novel. 1. He’s told a heartfelt compelling story. 2. He has raised my questions about how we deal with trauma
and how we help or fail to help our suffering brothers or sisters as the case may be. 3. He has dealt with issues of communication with the traumatized one and those who love them.
And lastly and maybe most importantly he requires us to take a look at fate. Is it fate or is it some sort of master plan? I know what I think. Read this book and decide for yourself.
McMaster has accomplished three
things in this novel. 1. He’s told a heartfelt compelling story. 2. He has raised my questions about how we deal with trauma
and how we help or fail to help our suffering brothers or sisters as the case may be. 3. He has dealt with issues of communication with the traumatized one and those who love them.
And lastly and maybe most importantly he requires us to take a look at fate. Is it fate or is it some sort of master plan? I know what I think. Read this book and decide for yourself.
June 25, 2024
I was captured by this author, read the book in less than a day. Could not put it down. One of the best books I have ever read. The reality of the story, it's characters and the depth of emotions defies description. I lived through those years and identified with the story. Will come back another day and edit this review...but for now. I will reflect.
March 20, 2025
This is a free ebook download I received from the Fussy Librarian for my Kindle app. It has been my experience that such downloads are a hit-and- miss proposition. But this book proved to be a real gem.
Aaron Vanko is a high school senior in 1943 who gets caught up in the wartime enlistment enthusiasm of youth. However, his parents are refugees from World War 1 Ukraine and Jewish to boot. They want to protect Aaron from their experiences and they even hide this information from him. Aaron grows up with no real religious orientation of any kind until the day before he is to be shipped off to the European Theater of Operations. In the meantime he meets, falls in love with, and marries a staunch Catholic girl named Mary, to the disapproval of both sets of parents.
The war in Europe traumatizes Aaron, especially one particular incident wherein a German soldier has gotten the best of him in hand-to-hand combat in an isolated farmhouse and is just about to thrust his knife into Aaron’s chest against steadily failing arms and into his heart when the German notices his dog tags and his Jewish identity. He stops and identifies himself as Jewish also (hiding in plain sight, as it were) and saves his life. This confusing turn of events, and other actions he sees and does, makes Aaron’s life grow darker.
Aaron’s war is actually two wars. One physical and one emotional. Once he returns home from Europe he then struggles, unsuccessfully it seems, with the war raging inside him. Known today as PTSD, men then were expected to hold it inside them, to man up, deal with it. And so often they did so with a bottle. And it manifested itself through nightmares, alcoholism, and failed marriages. And this book deals with these issues in a gripping, even haunting manner that will leave the reader deeply involved.
“The war made some people stronger, and others simply died, fast or slow, but for Aaron, dying came in the slow merciless cuts of shame and regret, in memories that played inside his head over and over,” (p. 225).
The story is filled with surprising plot twists and redemption from an unforeseen and remarkable source. Extremely well written produces an excellent read! If you like this genre you’ll like this book.
Aaron Vanko is a high school senior in 1943 who gets caught up in the wartime enlistment enthusiasm of youth. However, his parents are refugees from World War 1 Ukraine and Jewish to boot. They want to protect Aaron from their experiences and they even hide this information from him. Aaron grows up with no real religious orientation of any kind until the day before he is to be shipped off to the European Theater of Operations. In the meantime he meets, falls in love with, and marries a staunch Catholic girl named Mary, to the disapproval of both sets of parents.
The war in Europe traumatizes Aaron, especially one particular incident wherein a German soldier has gotten the best of him in hand-to-hand combat in an isolated farmhouse and is just about to thrust his knife into Aaron’s chest against steadily failing arms and into his heart when the German notices his dog tags and his Jewish identity. He stops and identifies himself as Jewish also (hiding in plain sight, as it were) and saves his life. This confusing turn of events, and other actions he sees and does, makes Aaron’s life grow darker.
Aaron’s war is actually two wars. One physical and one emotional. Once he returns home from Europe he then struggles, unsuccessfully it seems, with the war raging inside him. Known today as PTSD, men then were expected to hold it inside them, to man up, deal with it. And so often they did so with a bottle. And it manifested itself through nightmares, alcoholism, and failed marriages. And this book deals with these issues in a gripping, even haunting manner that will leave the reader deeply involved.
“The war made some people stronger, and others simply died, fast or slow, but for Aaron, dying came in the slow merciless cuts of shame and regret, in memories that played inside his head over and over,” (p. 225).
The story is filled with surprising plot twists and redemption from an unforeseen and remarkable source. Extremely well written produces an excellent read! If you like this genre you’ll like this book.
March 14, 2025
The book is the saga of finding one's soul mate, being torn apart by war, and returning haunted by the violence the protagonist experienced. The book is timely as Aaron's family was Ukrainian attacked by Russian soldiers, and he was Jewish and witnessed the hollocaust firsthand at a prisoner camp. There's a fitting end to a spiritually uplifting journey.
October 8, 2025
fantastic read
This was a very accurate well written book. I loved the truthfulness of how some veterans lives ended up. Aaron and Mary could have been a true love story. Emotionally moving with every page you turn.
This was a very accurate well written book. I loved the truthfulness of how some veterans lives ended up. Aaron and Mary could have been a true love story. Emotionally moving with every page you turn.
November 26, 2025
This book is a real gem. I found it hidden in stacks of other unread ebooks on my Kindle. A thought provoking journey. I highly recommend!
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews