Life, Love, and Loss

War has horrific, widespread consequences that include destruction and chaos in the lives of all it affects. In a collection of short stories and poems based on true events, Magdalin Szabo draws on personal childhood experiences to open the eyes of others to the impact of global conflict during the twentieth century. Through diverse characters, settings, and writings, Szabo shares a glimpse into several crises in the former Yugoslavia as a young woman is forced into an arranged marriage in a town where meddling is a sport; another is driven on a journey to freedom after German ethnic cleansing splinters her family; and as a family receives final letters from a grandmother forced into a death camp in the aftermath of World War II. Included are ten poems that highlight the blending of nature and man, the emotions surrounding the loss of a homeland, and reflections that accompany the aging process.