If My Heart Had Wings: A World War II Love Story

In If My Heart Had Wings, Nadine Taylor uncovers a “story of secrets, lies, a love that never died and a woman’s long journey to self-discovery and fulfillment.” Spurred on by the discovery of her mother’s first wartime marriage, the author goes into overdrive, seeing her parents in a completely new way, carried away by romantic visions, and eager to research World War II. As her mother’s life unfolds on the page, we appreciate the ambitions, hopes, and courage of the Greatest Generation. We also see family dysfunction and misunderstandings, tragedies, and bureaucratic bumbling about the most sensitive of events.

The clarity of the wartime-era photographs in this book is remarkable; the pictures of major players lend a vivid 40s vibe. I found the U.S. Army Air Force wartime missions fascinating, especially the treacherous Hump flights over the Himalayan Mountains to resupply Chinese and U.S. operations.

I wish there had been more on the author’s mighty struggle, only briefly told, to overcome her own challenges. The next book should fill us in on how the daughter followed her own heart.