Love in a Time of War: Diaries and Letters From World War 1

Title: Love in a Time of War: Diaries and Letters from World War I. This book is a story of World War I, told primarily in the diaries and letters of a young Belgian woman and an American man. The woman, Germaine Attout lived with her family throughout four years of German occupation. The man, Francis Wickes, came to Belgium in 1915 as a member of the Commission for Relief in Belgium, led by Herbert Hoover. He writes of this relief work and subsequently of his service with the U.S. Army in Paris. Included are eyewitness accounts of Belgian civilians, unarmed, resisting the occupation and of the Belgian army, under it's great King, Albert I, defending their country against overwhelming odds. The book contains background material about this period of history and over 50 contemporary photos It is being published as the centennial of World War I approaches. This is a love story too, told by Francis as it began in the midst of war, told by Germaine as it continued in a long married life.

Author: The translator and narrator, Mariette Wickes, is a daughter of Germaine and Francis. She lives at Lost Valley, an eco-village and permaculture center near Eugene, Oregon.