My Grandparents In Love And War: A Tale of Extraordinary Strength and Enduring Love

Enter a world filled with love, courage, and resilience as we take a journey back in time to witness the remarkable story of my grandparents. Through the tumultuous period of war and the challenges life threw at them, their love remained unbreakable. Join me as I share their extraordinary journey and the invaluable lessons we can learn from their unwavering bond.

The Beginnings of a Love Story

It was the early 1940s when fate brought Henry and Elizabeth together. They met in a bustling city, amidst the chaos of a world at war. Henry, a brave young soldier, and Elizabeth, a strong-willed nurse, found solace in each other's presence amidst the storm of uncertainty.

United by a mutual passion for helping others, their connection transcended beyond the walls of the hospital. As they spent more time together, their love blossomed, providing them with strength and hope amidst the surrounding devastation.

Their Promised Land: My Grandparents in Love and War

by Ian Buruma (Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	13750 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	314 pages
Item Weight	:	4.8 ounces
Paperback	:	44 pages
Dimensions	:	8.25 x 0.11 x 8.25 inches

FREE

The Trials and Triumphs of War

War is a test of character, and it was during these trying times that my grandparents' love faced its first major challenge. Henry, driven by a sense of duty, was called to serve on the front lines. Separated by thousands of miles, their only form of connection was through heartfelt letters that transcended the physical distance between them.

Each letter they exchanged carried their dreams, wishes, and deepest desires. These beautifully crafted love letters became a testament to their unwavering love, helping them soldier on through the darkest days of war. Their words provided strength and hope, allowing them to endure the unimaginable horrors each day presented.

Despite the adversities, their love stood undefeated. Elizabeth remained a pillar of strength, advocating for the soldiers she cared for, while Henry fought valiantly to protect his fellow comrades. Their parallel journeys, though separated by circumstance, were united by an unbreakable bond.

A Love Story Beyond the Battlefield

As the war came to an end, Henry and Elizabeth finally reunited. While most couples would have considered themselves lucky to have found each other amid such chaos, their love story was only just beginning. Over the years, they built a life together, navigated through challenges, and celebrated many milestones.

Henry, having experienced the horrors of war, dedicated himself to creating a better world for future generations. He became an advocate for peace, spreading messages of unity and understanding. Elizabeth continued her work as a nurse, providing comfort and care to those in need.

Together, they exemplified the true meaning of resilience. Even in the face of adversity, Henry and Elizabeth remained resolute in their commitment to love and support one another. Their partnership was built on mutual respect, compassion, and a shared vision for a better future.

The Legacy of Love

My grandparents' love story is a testament to the strength of the human spirit. It reminds us that love knows no boundaries and can transcend even the darkest of times.

The lessons I have learned from their extraordinary journey are immeasurable. Their unwavering commitment to one another, their resilience in the face of adversity, and their ability to find hope in the most challenging of circumstances have shaped me into the person I am today.

I strive to emulate their love in my own relationships, cherishing and nurturing them with the same dedication they bestowed upon each other. Their enduring love serves as a constant reminder that the bonds we form with our loved ones are invaluable treasures that should be cherished and protected.

The tale of my grandparents' love and war is one of epic proportions. It is a story of two souls brought together by fate, faced with unimaginable challenges, and conquering them through strength, resilience, and unwavering love.

Through their example, we learn that love is not a fleeting emotion but a commitment to stand by each other through the darkest storms. Their story serves as a beacon of hope in a world often marred by chaos, reminding us that even in the face of adversity, love will always prevail.

Their Promised Land: My Grandparents in Love and War

by Ian Buruma (Kindle Edition)

4.4 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	13750 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	314 pages
Item Weight	:	4.8 ounces
Paperback	:	44 pages
Dimensions	:	8.25 x 0.11 x 8.25 inches

FREE

A family history of surpassing beauty and power: Ian Buruma’s account of his grandparents’ enduring love through the terror and separation of two world wars

During the almost six years England was at war with Nazi Germany, Winifred and Bernard Schlesinger, Ian Buruma’s grandparents, and the film director John Schlesinger's parents, were, like so many others, thoroughly sundered from each other. Their only recourse was to write letters back and forth. And write they did, often every day. In a way they were just picking up where they left off in 1918, at the end of their first long separation because of the Great War that swept Bernard away to some of Europe’s bloodiest battlefields. The thousands of letters between them were part of an inheritance that ultimately came into the hands of their grandson, Ian Buruma. Now, in a labor of love that is also a powerful act of artistic creation, Ian Buruma has woven his own voice in with theirs to provide the context and counterpoint necessary to bring to life, not just a remarkable marriage, but a class, and an age.
 
Winifred and Bernard inherited the high European cultural ideals and attitudes that came of being born into prosperous German-Jewish émigré families. To young Ian, who would visit from Holland every Christmas, they seemed the very essence of England, their spacious Berkshire estate the model of genteel English country life at its most pleasant and refined. It wasn’t until years later that he discovered how much more there was to the story.
 
At its heart, Their Promised Land is the story of cultural assimilation. The Schlesingers were very British in the way their relatives in Germany were very German, until Hitler destroyed that option. The problems of being Jewish and facing anti-Semitism even in the country they loved were met with a kind of stoic discretion. But they showed solidarity when it mattered most. As the shadows of war lengthened again, the Schlesingers mounted a remarkable effort, which Ian Buruma describes movingly, to rescue twelve Jewish children from the Nazis and see to their upkeep in England. 
 
Many are the books that do bad marriages justice; precious few books take readers inside a good marriage. In Their Promised Land, Buruma has done just that; introducing us to a couple whose love was sustaining through the darkest hours of the century.

Look for Ian's new book, A Tokyo Romance, in March, 2018.