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When New Zealand forces arrived in Italy after the 1943 Armistice with Allied forces, it was inevitable they would mingle with the local population.

The Italians opened their hearts to the New Zealand soldiers who delighted in finding young Italian signorinas everywhere.

In Love and War tells of the liaisons and love affairs of Kiwi troops and their Italian sweethearts during World War II.

For some the result was marriage, leading to a new and often strained life for the Italian war brides on the other side of the world in their husband’s homeland.

For others, their wartime romance ended in heartbreaking separation when the Kiwi soldiers were posted elsewhere or returned home. Unknowingly, some left behind children who would grow up without ever meeting their natural fathers.

While the New Zealand commanding officers did their very best to curtail fraternisation between the troops and the civilian population, for servicemen starved of female company relationships were easy to fall into.

Says one Goodreads reviewer: “This is not just romance it is an excellent description of the circumstances soldiers came from and found themselves in, as well as the impressions of their Italian communities. The author has used extensive interviews of Italian and New Zealand participants to support her sensitive explanations of the sociological phenomenon of wartime Italy. It is both sad and uplifting and ultimately a commentary on the way ordinary people try to make the best of life-changing and cruel situations, and the moral dilemmas which come from them. Very well written - a great read, especially for those who have connections to Italian war veteran families.”

In Love and War by Susan Jacobs is subtitled: Kiwi Soldiers' Romantic Encounters in Wartime Italy. It is a first edition published by Penguin Books, Auckland, in 2012. Brand new, it is a heavy 256-page 15.5x23cm soft cover with many great photographs.

BC42722MBk ***