Difficult Loves Summary
Italo Calvino

Difficult Loves Summary

Dealing With World War II

The people of Europe had already suffered through "The War to End All Wars" (World War I, 1914-1918) when they had to also deal with World War II (1939-1945), which was much worse. Of the four parts to this book, one presents stories that take place during the second world war, and a follow-up section describes how people tried to get their lives back or start over.

In addition to the obvious hardship of death and disease, many common people had to face the destruction of their homes, or an invading army taking all livestock. Transit routes were disrupted, and even when food was available, it was strictly rationed. In many ways, people adjusted to the hardships of war, finding ways to benefit from the terrible circumstances around them, or at least making things a little more bearable for the people around them. The story... View more of the Difficult Loves Summary