Love Stories of World War II
Love Stories of World War II compiled by Larry King
Three Rivers Press, 2001
Veteran interviewer Larry King brings the personal side of WWII to readers by presenting a collection of wartime love stories as recounted by members of the “Greatest Generation.” Accompanying the stories are photographs, letters and ticket stubs, and even personalized cartoons drawn by men on the battlefront.
Although Larry King is not known for having excellent writing skills, he is adept at conveying an everyday individual’s story to a listening world. In King’s compilation, ordinary couples receive well-deserved public admiration for a love that, having sparked during disaster, continued to burn quietly as the war receded, one decade at a time.
Most chapters focus on a couple who met during World War II. Several couples met in foreign countries. Often, they developed whirlwind relationships ahead of deployment. Many of the couples featured in the book were still together at the time of the book’s publication.
Often, one significant detail—an adjusted leave date, the decision to ride public transportation, a bright-colored accessory, the timing of a delivered letter—becomes the catalyst for an unexpected new love and life.
The lives of these wartime couples demonstrate just how un-ordinary one moment can become, even if we don’t realize it at the time.
What happened in your world today that might have altered your destiny?
