The Faces of Love - Pacenza Utta

As a sickly little girl grows up in a small Austrian town, rumors begin circulating about a man named Hitler who is stirring the people with his promises to provide work and unite Germany and Austria into one country. While a war begins, air-raid sirens blare, and American planes deliver deadly cargo onto Vienna, Melanie matures into a headstrong young woman focused on finding true love.

When she finally falls in love despite her physician father’s opposition, Melanie soon follows her lover to Australia where she marries and attempts to establish herself as a designer. But when her husband transforms into a violent alcoholic, Melanie is forced to flee to Austria and begin anew. As fate eventually leads her to meet and wed an American, their union sets off a chain of events that takes them to the United States. Now only time will tell if Melanie and her husband can find peace and happiness amid a post-World War II world.

In this historical novel, a young woman on a coming-of-age journey to find true love is led from Austria to Australia and finally to America where a new beginning awaits.

Reading about pre- and post-WWII years in Europe proves that wars bring hardship to all. Facing difficult times and finding peace of mind are still life’s biggest challenges, with “true love” being its ultimate reward.

—PFC George Albrecht, Armor Battalion

Growing up is never easy, especially in the middle of a war and its aftermath! Her romantic nature leads a young doctor’s daughter into life’s stormy waters. But endurance and her belief in ethical values finally allow her to find peace and happiness with a man worthy of her love.

—Dr. Eleonora Babacek, Hübel, PhD