Two Questions:

Two Questions: Changing Countries for Love…Is it worth it? Would you do it again?

Danielle Murray

Amazon.com Services LLC, Apr 2019

265 pages

Historical Novel

Provided by the Author

⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4 Stars

The cover is rather depressing if you ask me, but I think it’s meant to be that way. It goes along with so much of what happens in the stories told inside.

The author has obviously done her research on this one and I got multiple history lessons, or should I say history lessons on multiple subjects. Ms. Murray covers not only the stories of her primary characters but royal wives as well. Just imagine growing up knowing you are considered a pawn in world power by those who are supposed to love and protect you and you have no say in how they use you. I’ll bet it came as a shock to some of them at least. Those that thought their parents loved them enough to let them marry for love or at least have some choice. Hmph!

Then there are the stories of the war wives who came to totally unknown countries in many cases and discovered they had no idea how things were done there, possibly didn’t speak the language the older women of the family spoke, or discovered there was a preferred wife for her new husband and she was unwelcome. So now she not only has to deal with a husband who she really doesn’t know well and/or has changed while he’s been at war, but she has to deal with his family and community who may not be willing to accept her. She’s totally isolated and he’s dealing with PTSD and trying to find a job where there are none to be had. The customs are different, the food’s different, the money’s different. Totally at a loss as to how to get on. Was it worth it? Would you do it again?

I never realized that there were such numbers of these women in so many of our wars who were involved in this. They number in the thousands for each war it seems and they go all over the world from all countries to all countries. Wherever there were fighting men there were War Wives it seems.

Ms. Murray took a very interesting path with these stories. She used telegrams, letters, emails, diaries, and such to relate and enhance this amazing continent-hopping story. I have read several books done this way and always find them interesting. I always feel like I’m being let in on the secrets. This one was done very well, especially since we were all over time and the world with these women who left home to marry men and try to make a home somewhere other than their own countries. Was it worth it? Would you do it again?

Recommended.