When he was young, Henry Forester was a farm boy of the south, raising chickens and cows with dreams to fly. Although he had other plans to learn to fly, he found himself learning to be a man, stuck in the middle of WWII, flying B-24 bomber planes. Stationed in England as the youngest pilot on base, Henry risks his life every time he gets into the plane. Although his tasks were scary and life threatening, Henry loved to fly. One day, Henry and his team were to take the longest flight yet to drop 500 pounds of bombs on southern Germany. Little did Henry know that he wouldn't make it to his destination. His plane crashed after an air attack. He jumped from his plane and parachuted down to the earth, breaking his foot as he hit the ground. Injured and unsure what country he was in, Henry hobbled along a road until he was found by a school teacher, out biking. The school teacher gave Henry a place to rest and a bit of food until he could find what to do with him. A Frenchman having an American in his home was terribly dangerous for both of them. When the school teacher was able to ship Henry safely to a hospital in Switzerland, that's when Henry's real journey begins. Many other American pilots have escaped by the help of many brave people and families living within the war. Henry learns a lot about himself, sacrifice and bravery as he ventures across Europe. Will Henry ever make it home with the help of the resistance? Will he learn to trust despite all the lies living within Germany?I loved this book because something new was happening every 3 or 4 pages. It was so hard to put it down! I found myself shaking and unable to breathe as I turned the pages, afraid to learn what was going to happen to Henry next.On top of the fantastic writing, the book was VERY historically accurate. It included things like blitzkrieg, the Great Depression, wars that took place all over Europe, Resistance Workers, concentration/P.O.W. camps, horrible interrogation of soldiers, references to WWI, many planes used in WWII, accurate punishments for people who helped Americans/undesirables, and so much more!Having a little background knowledge about WWII would help while reading this book. The only thing that made reading this book a little bit difficult was some French and German here and there in the book. Usually what was said in French was explained in English, and what wasn't explained was very easy to figure out. This book was a pretty easy read, it was VERY interesting and intriguing, while being historically accurate as well.
Under a War-Torn Sky is an action-packed WWII historical adventure novel. The main character, Henry, is an American bomber pilot who's shot down over Switzerland. He parachutes to relative safety and makes it to a Red Cross hospital. After a short recovery there, he finds himself evading Germans as he moves (on foot!) from town to town across Switzerland, into France, and toward Spain. Along the way he sees the best in people and the worst. As you can see from even that short description, the book is packed with adventure in every sentence. No matter where I tried to put down the book, I was always worried for Henry. The things that he had to endure on his path back to American forces were incredible.The only fault I found with the book was that Henry seemed just a little "hokey." He was doggedly upbeat and positive, no matter what. And he was always telling those around him to look on the bright side. I know this was written for a young adult audience, but I'd say that the book could be appropriate for those readers as young as middle school; it's that clean. Personally, I found it just a little unbelievable. If he'd broken down and gotten mad at someone or cussed at an injury a time or two, that'd be more believable. I recently read Unbroken, a nonfiction WWII survival story, and the main subject persevered but did admit the hardship.On a more positive note myself, I was impressed with the historical note at the end. Turns out the author wrote this story based loosely on her grandfather's experience during WWII, and his fellow pilots' experiences. It really seemed like Elliott put a lot of effort into research! The hubby reads quite a bit of WWII nonfiction, and I kept asking him about some plot points and he always verified their validity. So that was cool.And to wrap things up, a note on the narration: it was pretty good. Not spectacular. Not the reader's fault. Just a little odd to hear Henry's story told in a female voice. But there was some French sprinkled in (not enough to confuse or deter a reader; don't worry) and the reader did that very well. She might have been a French speaker!So I may or may not recommend this. I wouldn't hesitate to assign it as a reading assignment if I was a teacher, but teens may or may not get into this work of historic fiction on their own.
What do You think about Under A War-Torn Sky (2003)?
I read this book to help with my son's high school English assignment. It's targeted to a teen or young adult audience, and tells a good story about an American bomber pilot who is shot down over Alsace during World War II. The book details his struggle to return to freedom, aided by a series of sincere local sympathizers and members of the French resistance movement. While somewhat romanticized, it gives a behind-the-scenes look at the efforts of those who fought against the Nazi invaders. The soldier is captured twice by the Germans and tortured, and other German wartime atrocities are described. The purpose of the novel seems to be to celebrate and recognize acts of kindness and heroism in the midst of the struggles of conflict.
—David
Under a War-Torn Sky is a must-read for anyone who appreciates a good novel or wants to read a quick military story. This book tells the story of an American pilot fighting in WW||. As the reader follows Sergeant Henry Forester as he tries to get home to his farm in Richmond, Virginia, they meet many unique characters. That is one of the reasons why I love this book, because it shows the reader so many different people contributing to the safety of the soldiers. People of all ages and attire have their own place, and (even in neutral countries!) choose the right path to help get American soldiers to the safety of their homes. It really is neat to watch how different people react to the soldiers in need. I loved this book and would would recommend it to anyone! :)
—Rebecca
When Henry Forester's plane gets shot down during a bombing run, He finds himself deep behind enemy lines where he faces lots of conflict and sadness as he begins his remarkable journey back home under a war-torn sky.Once on the ground he try's to trust strangers and their kindness to get him back home, but he learns that he can't trust everyone. With each step he takes on his journey, it gets more and more dangerous. When a stranger helps get him to a hospital, that is when he is informed of the plan to get him home and how he going to get there.As he travels he makes multiple friends. Friends that he can call family, but he can not save all of them. If Henry try's to help his friends, he could put them in even more danger. But he must follow the plan and put his life in the hands of strangers to guide him on his path to freedom.When Henry is brought to an ally camp, he meets up with another american pilot that was shot down. But now he has to struggle to keep both of them alive. But when a trusted guide betrays the group, Henry is taken hostage so close to his destination. Now he must find a way out and get back home to his his family. But as he is interrogated, he himself wonders if he will live to see his family again.Under a war-torn sky by L.M Elliott was a great book that was impossible for me to put down. With tons of suspense and a new event on every page, I recommend this book to all readers. Also this book has a large amount of WWII vocabulary such as flapper, blitzkrieg, Luftwaffe, and Vichy. This book had a personal effect on me because I had a family member that went missing in war when they escaped from the enemy territory.
—Michael Becker
