Tailspin - by John Armbruster

About the Book

A rookie social studies teacher overhears a conversation about a World War II tail gunner who survived a four-mile fall from the sky. When the elderly Gene Moran finally shares his saga, John has no idea of the wounds he's reopening.

Book Synopsis

World War II tail gunner Gene Moran fell four miles through the sky without a parachute and lived. Captured by the Germans, he survived a harrowing eighteen months as a prisoner of war, including a six-hundred-mile death march in 1945 across Central Europe.

When Gene returned home, he kept those memories locked up for nearly seventy years. His nine children knew little of their dad's war story. But when John, a young history teacher, learns of Gene's amazing fall, he's desperate to learn more. Finally, Gene agrees.

So begins a series of "Thursdays with Gene" interviews. Gene, nearing his ninetieth birthday, recounts incredible tales. But John has no idea what wounds he's reopening. Gene's nightmares and grief return. But both men persevere, bonded by their close and growing friendship.

As the interviews go on, John faces an ordeal of his own. His wife is fighting brain cancer. What will happen to his wife and his two young children? John must continue uncovering Gene's story of survival as he himself confronts the greatest trial of his life.

Tailspin is more than a war story. It's a story of two men's separate journeys confronting trauma and loss. It's a story of resilience and hope.

Review Quotes

"Moran's survival is a cinematically grand story, bigger than life but not fantastical, dramatically gripping as well as emotionally stirring. An extraordinary, moving account of survival and endurance."

-Kirkus Reviews

"A survival story that bridges generations, told with heart-rending poignancy. Tailspin unveils the twin stories of two remarkable, resilient men facing the biggest trials of their lives. More than a war story, it's a universal story of family filled with truth and compassion."

-Heather Shumaker, author of Saving Arcadia

"Tailspin is a survival story you'll never forget. While it centers on the vivid and harrowing tale of Gene Moran's ordeal as a German POW in WWII-and the trauma that followed him home-the book is more than a tribute to Armbruster's courageous friend and neighbor. By including the stories of how he worked with Gene to unearth his painful past all while supporting his young wife in her battle with Stage IV cancer, Armbruster transcends the genre in powerful, surprising ways. What you're left with, at the end of this incredible reading experience, is a richer appreciation of all the ways we're connected in our suffering-and the everyday courage it takes to fight, heal, and soldier on."

-Mark Rader, author of The Wanting Life

"Armbruster actually tells three stories in this book. The first is about sensitively getting to know Gene Moran and enlisting his trust; then facilitating the therapeutic sharing of Gene's traumatic ordeal; and last but not least, the painful telling of his own wife's battle with cancer. It is three carefully interwoven journeys, well told. Think of Tuesdays With Morrie, Unbroken, and Steel Magnolias all in one."

-Edward Krall MD, MS, LFAPA, Assistant Professor of Psychiatry, Medical College of Wisconsin

"Tailspin is one of the most engaging books I have ever read. Like his mentor Ben Logan, John carefully and reverently tells a story which was buried in Eugene Moran's emotional bedrock for years. With patience and respect, the story of a survivor and survival is evoked and intersects with the story of the author. The story is human and humanizing; there is dignity and strength in sacrifice and suffering. These truths are known but seldom spoken with such compassion and competence. Eugene and John invite us to explore our lives of sorrow and joy, triumph and tragedy, by humbling sharing their lives and love with each of their readers and fellow human beings."

-Thomas Thibodeau, Distinguished Professor of Servant Leadership at Viterbo University

"Tailspin is a compelling story that transcends genre. This narrative demonstrates the power of resilience when confronting the 'tailspins' of life."

-Kathleen Hendrickson, Reading Specialist, Westby Area Schools

"In bringing Gene's story to light, Tailspin brings a dark chapter of history into the present and ultimately offers hope that although it may take generations, sharing our stories can help even the deepest wounds to heal."

-Keefe Keeley, co-author of The Driftless Reader

"I have been recommending Tailspin since I read the first draft. The interviews and interactions with Gene later in his life intertwined with the story of his incredible survival make you feel like you're slipping back into those memories with Gene."

-Joelle Clark