Ending Well in Love and (World) War (II)

LEICESTER, Mass., Jan. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- "WWII Memories and Love Knows No Borders" (published by Trafford Publishing), by J. J. Rollins with Maria Rollins, has dual titles because it really is two stories -- his and his wife's. The 179-page book covers an impressively eventful seven years of Rollins' life, from 1943 to 1950, and tells the story of a young soldier and the woman who eventually became his bride.

The story begins in 1943, as Rollins enrolls in the U.S. Army just a month after graduating from high school. He was soon deployed to the European Theater and eventually landed in Germany. As the war in that theater came to a close, Rollins stayed on to attend the Weihenstephan Agriculture and Technical University in Freising, Germany. It was there that he met his future wife. Rollins and Maria fell in love quickly and began to consider marriage; however, their dream was shot down when they found out they could not be wed as long as Rollins was enlisted. The couple was split up when Maria was ordered back to her native Hungary and Rollins was sent to Vienna.

Once back in the United States, Rollins attempted to contact Maria, much to his parents' dismay. "My parents did not approve of my choice for a future wife -- a Hungarian Gypsy! How could you?" Rollins wrote in his book. Maria also tried to write Rollins, but "letters were intercepted and burned," wrote Rollins. "I lost communication with my true love. But I never forgot her. How could I?"

Maria never forgot, either, and she eventually made it to Canada, where she worked as a domestic under a refugee settlement program. She eventually found Rollins and they were married Dec. 2, 1950.

Full of excitement and heartache, "WWII Memories and Love Knows No Borders" demonstrates for the reader "the power of the human spirit to overcome all obstacles," says Rollins. In one chapter, Rollins vividly recalls a brush with death when his rifle exploded in his hands and a frightening near miss when a misdirected shell killed the scout standing next to him during a training exercise. Rollins' wife shared in the action: she fled from Hungary to American-occupied Germany by train and on foot -- twice -- and was later accused of being a spy by the Hungarian secret police.

About the Author

Joseph and Maria Rollins live in Massachusetts and have been married for 59 years. The pair has two grown daughters, one son and seven grandchildren. The author was an elementary school teacher in Leicester, Mass., until his retirement in 1990. This is his first book.

Trafford Publishing is the premier book publisher for emerging, self-published authors. For more information, please visit http://www.trafford.com.

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SOURCE Trafford Publishing