Tammy Lockamy
WW II has ended, yet the extreme woes of wounded and mentally traumatized soldiers abound throughout the world.Teramo, Italy 1945Forty-two-year-old Sarah Puglia was forced to remain in England during the horrors of WW II with her British family, the Bentleys, due to it being extremely unsafe for a British subject to venture back into Italy, which is where she calls home with Lorenzo, her Italian husband.During the six excruciatingly long years apart, Sarah’s husband had been conscripted to be a foot soldier against his will to fight for the Italian Army. In the final year of the war, Sarah had received the ghastly news that Lorenzo had been severely injured, and because of this, he had been discharged from service. After a rather lengthy hospital stay, Lorenzo’s doctor had finally sent him home to his parents’ vineyard estate in Teramo to recuperate.Now, with the end of the war finally behind her, Sarah and her two young children can at last return home to Italy and be reunited with her dear husband and his family. Sarah, who is a seasoned portrait painter, also longs to return to her rather large art studio, so that again she can embrace her true passion, which has always been painting. Something that she could sadly do very little of during the war since supplies were sorely limited.As Sarah makes her journey home, she is extremely fearful of what she may find when she finally lays eyes on her estranged husband once again. Her mind is riddled with questions of how the horrors of war may have changed Lorenzo. Additionally, there is the monumental question in regard to the injuries that her husband has sustained, and whether or not they have left him physically and mentally scarred. Until she sees him face to face, these questions will continue to haunt her mind and dreams.Sarah’s travels are now coming to an end. The train is pulling into the depot, and Sarah is full of nervous anticipation for the reunion with her husband that she has been waiting on for many years. Will the love of her life be there waiting to wrap her up in his loving arms? Will they continue their life together with their children who love and adore their papa? Or will Lorenzo be forever changed by the war, making the wonderful, loving life they once knew a thing of the past?Sarah has just stepped off the train; her eyes begin to scan the throngs of people who are either coming or going, and her heart is full of hope that soon Lorenzo will be standing there before her. Will her wish come true?Find out the answers to these questions and more as Lorenzo and Sarah each share their gripping, emotional, and extremely heartfelt stories of what life was like for them after WW II ended. 6
