"We Regret to Inform You" Entertains on Many Levels

We Regret to Inform You by Christopher B Scharping
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

"We Regret to Inform You" entertains on so many levels. It is the story of family and war, specifically the Stefaniak family from Medina NY. The elder Stan and his son Allen have a father and son bond that takes them from tragedy to triumph in World War II. The book chronicles the family's different perspectives as Allen grows and becomes a consummate pilot, joins the Army Air Corps and flies B-17 bombing missions over Europe and North Africa. When he is shot down and captured by the Germans, he faces a personal crisis as he realizes his "escape" is a betrayal by a man he once knew as a friend.

The counterpoint is a father's determination to discover the fate of his missing in action son. From frustration at home in the "not knowing" to the post war determination to find out his son Allen's fate, Stan travels through Europe researching post war records until he finds out what happened to his son. This leads to a unique twist which I really don't want to spoil!

The author's attention to detail covers everything from the ethnic traditional foods served during the Holidays at the Stefaniak home to firing up a B-17 bomber for takeoff! Famous figures from Truman and Eisenhower to even Howard Hughes make appearances in the novel. A thoroughly researched novel, Chris nails all the details from aerial combat to small time family life in upstate New York in the 1940's. I enjoyed the journey of the Stefaniaks and their undying faith through one of my favorite periods of history. You will too!

You can get the Kindle version at Amazon.com

We Regret to Inform You

View all my reviews