Nonfiction Authors Association: Nonfiction Book Awards Gold Winner (November 2023)
· Finding Boom Boogie by Maureen Buick is a beautifully written book that highlights a fundamental part of history, while connecting the missing dots on a quest for finding answers.
· I thoroughly enjoy this book. From the attention to detail to the flawless writing skills, smoothly transitioning from chronological timeline of her father's involvement in the war; and ending with her personal reflections about both his life and hers. I gained so much insight on World War II, POW, types of planes, fighter planes, just to name a few.
· Informative, riveting, and suspense-driven.
· An exceptionally detail-oriented and research-driven writer.
· This is a fascinating story of two 'Baby Boomer' sisters searching for information about their late father and his time as a POW in Germany and Poland. It clearly shows how important it is to speak with the remaining veterans and their families before the details are lost forever.
· The depth of research covered for this level of work could only be fathomed by someone like this author who has a deep zest and sincere commitment to accurately narrate her father's story by all means necessary.
· I loved the positive note that talking about her research led to a chain reaction as others started to learn more about their own relatives.
· If you're a WWII history buff, or if you enjoy reading true stories of those involved in the armed forces, or if you're curious how people go about researching a relative's involvement in the war, then this book is for you! Maureen Buick takes readers through her meticulous search for information about her father's journey as a gunner, a POW, and a veteran.
Book Life Review
Buick's searching debut, an act of love and history, finds the author seeking to reconnect with her deceased father-and draw some closure for herself-by attempting to retrace his journey through World War II. As part of the Army Air Corps (later the Air Force), her father served as a tailgunner on a bomber named "Bomb Boogie," which was shot down over France. He was later captured and held in a prisoner-of-war camp until late in the war, when he escaped during a forced march.
Through her memories of her father's occasional light-hearted stories, documentation and memories from others, and actual visits to sites in Europe, Buick is able to cobble together a likely timeline for her father's experiences. While a full picture is impossible, Buick compensates by imagining likely outcomes and sharing her own feelings about her father, and how they have transformed, throughout the experience of her research and writing the book. The result is another tile in the mosaic of the personal memories and stories of those who shaped history in the war, a generation that's rapidly disappearing. Buick brings that abstract generational reality to life by documenting the mundane, the exceptional, the exciting, and the horrific alike.
Takeaway: A daughter's probing investigation into her father's World War II experience.
Production grades
Cover: A-
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: A
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
Print Date: 11/06/2023
