Was World War II the last “good war,” as it has been called, or is “good war” really an oxymoron?

In this memoir, spanning six decades of her life, and as many wars, the author admits that December 7, 1941, and the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor left us no choice about getting into WW II. But what about the others — beginning with Korea, which has been called America’s “Forgotten War?”

Her story begins in the first full year of that war, 1951, when, as a girl of nineteen she “falls for a uniform” and hastily marries a boy she barely knows. Against all odds, the marriage lasts for 22 years, but finally ends in heartbreak. Now middle-aged, she finds love again with a man who is everything her first husband was not (strong, reliable, caring), but that marriage is short-lived and ends tragically.

As much about war as it is about love, In Love and War suggests that warfare, at least since WW II — that last “good war” — is folly. And so, perhaps, is love.

Not everyone will agree with her conclusions, but some may be persuaded by her argument that two things (besides death and taxes) are inevitable.

They are love and war.

“An enchanting and delightful debut…Author E.E. Smith skillfully delivers a nostalgic recollection of enlightened and inspiring relationships during one of our nation’s darker times.”

– Global News, Booknotes

About the Author
E. E. (Evelyn Eileen) Smith lives close to her native San Francisco, in the “Wine Country” of northern California. She became a professional writer after retiring from earlier careers as an architectural designer and a litigation paralegal. Known primarily as a playwright — her plays have been produced in Massachusetts, Kentucky, Oklahoma, and both northern and southern California — she later became a novelist. A New Edition of her first novel, Boardinghouse Stew, along with the sequel, Times Like These, was published in 2011. In Love and War, A Memoir, was published as an e-book in 2012. A series of murder mysteries debuted in 2013, also as e-books, beginning with Death by Misadventure.  Three more: Bad Blood, Russian Roulette, and Prescription for Murder followed in 2014. In 2015, all will be available as e-books, including brand new editions of Boardinghouse Stew and Times Like These. 

She is a regular contributor to Psychology Today. Visit her blog, her website, or follow her on Facebook.