Andrea Leininger

Soul Survivor is an incredible story that begins with a two-year-old's night terrors that repeat the same theme: a plane is on fire and the occupant can't escape. As the nightmares continue and the child becomes fascinated with planes in general, WWII aircraft specifically, it becomes obvious that there is something strange occurring. Young James is adamant about details of what he claims are memories, not only with regard to specific aircraft, but also other pilots and members of the family show more which he believes was formerly his. He describes the aircraft carrier from which “his” plane took off and the location at which “he” was killed. As it turns out, his statements were all verified, interestingly by research done by his father, who was trying desperately to disprove his son’s proclamations.

I found this book absolutely mesmerizing. It is written in an easy to read style that places the reader in the center of the family’s drama and asks more questions than it answers. How could a two year old identify the difference between a bomb and a drop tank? How could he know a Wildcat as opposed to a Corsair? What would allow him to know the names of soldiers who were killed in WWII, only months before the man he believed himself to have been was shot down? Where would he obtain the knowledge that allowed him to recognize the sister of the man he believed himself to have been, and to know details of the life she had with her brother? How could he know the name of former/past life friends?

If you believe in reincarnation, this book will enforce that belief. If you don’t believe in reincarnation, this book will give you hours of entertainment trying to find a different explanation. show less

Soul Survivor is the story of two-year-old James Leininger whose night terrors about crashing in an airplane send his parents on a long, emotional search for the cause. Along the way they learn that James was, by all accounts, reliving the death of Navy pilot, Ensign James McCready Huston Jr. who died during WWII on March 3, 1945 in a raid on the Japanese island of Chichi-Jima.
In their search, Bruce and Andrea Leininger discover their son’s nightmares to be richly detailed with names and show more places. They also discover that he somehow knows more about WWII aircraft and tactics than any plausible explanation would allow. In their six year odyssey, Bruce, Andrea and James eventually meet the surviving members of Ensign Huston’s squadron who verify the names, places, times, and events leading to Ensign Huston’s death, just as James described them. They meet with Ensign Huston’s 84 year-old sister, Anne Huston Barron, who James immediately calls “Annie” just as her brother did in 1945. In the end, Soul Survivor is a riveting tale wrapped in a mediocre and somewhat over-wrought narrative. Nevertheless, three and a half stars from this old swabbie. show less

When Bruce and Andrea Leininger’s young son, James, showed an interest in airplanes, they didn’t think too much about it. Then, when James turned two years old, he began having vivid nightmares about being in a plane crash and being trapped in the cockpit. His verbal skills weren’t great yet, but he’d say that the “airplane crash on fire little man can’t get out” and when they asked who the little man was, James would reply that it was him. The Leiningers were concerned about show more the nightmares, but initially attributed them to a move they had recently made or his age or even television.

As James got older and his language skills improved, he began telling his parents things that didn’t make sense to them. He said he flew a Corsair off of the Natoma and the Japanese shot him down. He also mentioned some other people who were on the ship. Andrea had read a book about reincarnation in children and began to suspect that James’ soul had been on the Earth previously. She got in contact with Carol Bowman, the author of Children’s Past Lives and got some tips from her on how to cope with the situation.

Since Bruce is a deeply religious man, he couldn’t accept Andrea’s theory and began some intensive research trying to disprove it. Instead of disproving Andrea’s theory, it seems like all the evidence he uncovered only further proved it. Bruce also became very involved with and attached to the brave men who served on the USS Natoma Bay.

I read Soul Survivor by Bruce and Andrea Leininger with Ken Gross in anticipation of their interview on Blog Talk Radio. The book is written in a conversational tone, so it’s an easy read – you feel like you’re listening to an old friend. There were some details included that I felt weren’t necessary for the story, but they didn’t detract too much. Besides the story of James, there are some interesting stories about the brave men who served on the USS Natoma Bay during World War II. No matter how you feel about reincarnation, this book will make you think. I think the Leiningers were meticulous in their research and they’re sincere in their beliefs, but after reading Soul Survivor and mulling over the facts for a few days, I still don’t know what to think. This is a great book for anyone interested in reincarnation. show less

This book is overwritten with a cliched and awful narrative. The writers seem obsessed with describing the trials and tribulations of a difficult work life and moving house. For the first 6 or 7 chapters the information relating to their child's past life could be summarised in a couple of sentences...He had bad dreams. He called out strange things in the night ... I found myself speed reading through most of the book and only slowing down when I found something about his past life. It show more seemed to be more of a book about this child's parent's woes. When I did find a relevant part in the book it was interesting but written in a sensationalist manner. The authors did not need to put exclamation marks after every interesting sentence. The topic is very interesting and I did enjoy the latter part of the book regarding the men of the Natoma Bay, unfortunately the amateurish over writing spoilt the read. show less