Come to the Kingsland Manor on Sunday, October 20. Tours begin at 1 p.m. and continue until 4 p.m. We will also have a special presentation by Ronald Edward Negra on the memories of his mother, Agnes, the subject of his book Waves of Hope.
The presentation will take place at 2 p.m. in the Ballroom, and the author will be signing copies of his book before and after.
Nutley resident Agnes Joan Negra picked up a shortwave radio to fill the lonely hours while her husband, August fought the Axis powers in Europe. She mastered the radio and began monitoring the broadcast announcements of American prisoners of war. Gathering the names of these soldiers, she wrote to their families to inform them of what she learned and to give them solace and support. Many of the families wrote letters or postcards thanking her for reaching out to them. Soldiers, returning from the war, did the same. Agnes kept these letters, postcards, and her lists of the prisoners in a box in her attic. Her efforts only became known when her son, Ronald, discovered the box of the POW family letters that was sealed and forgotten after the war. He captured her memories in a book he wrote in honor of her 100th birthday. It is titled “Waves of Hope”. Sadly, Agnes passed away in September of 2022 just short of her 103 birthday. Her husband, August E. Negra, returned from war to become Nutley Captain of Police and Chief of Detectives.
This true story is documented by handwritten letters and postcards from these American families. Using a shortwave radio during World War II, the newlywed wife of an American soldier becomes one of the only communication links to the families of American prisoners of war as they struggle with anxiety, fear, and heart-wrenching emotions worrying about the fate of their captured sons, husbands, and brothers.
As the son of Agnes Joan Negra, the author interviewed his mother about her memories of this emotional period of the war. Through reading the many letters and postcards written by American families to her, he became passionate about sharing this story that affected the lives of many Americans.
Waves of Hope by Ronald Edward Negra, is available on Amazon for $16.38 plus postage.
He will have copies available at the October open house for just $15. Purchase with cash or checks, no charge cards.
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