Quilt of War

The title of this book is made up of three words, with the middle one being a connector and the other two being opposites. A quilt is a thing of warmth and comfort. War is a thing of fear, devastation, and death. So, what is the common "thread"? Normally, a quilt is a series of blocks (each made up of many pieces) that, when sewn together, creates a visual story. A war, on the other hand, is the tearing down of nations, cultures, and people. Yet, this is where they come together. The tearing down creates new; and that newness, coming out of war, is imposed on the defeated army as well as the victor. The world changes and a new story is told. A quilt tells a story, as does a war. At the turn of the twentieth century, the predominant matriarch of the world was Queen Victoria. In 1914, three quarters of the world was ruled by her lineage. The Czar of Russia, the Kaiser of Germany and the King of England were three of her grandchildren. In a way, WWI was a family squabble that spilled over into a global conflict. This is the story of a point in time where the world wobbled; but, ultimately, righted itself. WWI was a time when the world was ripped asunder; but pieced back together.