Niloofar’s Reviews > The Unwomanly Face of War: An Oral History of Women in World War II > Status Update

“I watch films about the war—not right. I read a book—not right. No, not it. It doesn’t come off. I start talking, myself—that’s also not it. Not as frightening and not as beautiful. Do you know how beautiful a morning at war can be? Before combat…You look and you know: this may be your last. The earth is so beautiful…And the air…And the dear sun…”

“The war was over... We felt as if there would always be peace on earth, that no one would ever want war, that all the bombs should be destroyed. Who needed them? We were tired of hatred. Tired of shooting”

“The battle ended during the night. In the morning fresh snow fell. Under it the dead…Many had their arms raised up…toward the sky…You ask me: what is happiness? I answer…To suddenly find a living man among the dead…”

“Now I live in Crimea…Here everything drowns in flowers, and every day I look out the window at the sea, but I’m worn out with pain, I still don’t have a woman’s face. I cry often, I moan all day. It’s my memories…”

“And history? It is in the street. In the crowd. I believe that in each of us there is a small piece of history. In one half a page, in another two or three. Together we write the book of time”