“War, in some ways, is merciful to men. It makes them heroes if they are the victors. If they are the vanquished - they do not live to see their homes taken, their wives widowed. But if you are a woman - you must live through defeat...”

“One must not live one's life through men but must be complete on oneself as a woman of substance.”

“The heart of the problem, I soon came to understand, was that with Pablo there must always be a victor and a vanquished. I could not be satisfied with being a victor, nor, I think, could anyone who is emotionally mature. There was nothing gained by being vanquished either, because with Pablo, the moment you were vanquished he lost all interest. Since I loved him, I couldn't afford to be vanquished. What does one do in a dilemma like that?”

“War is being reminded that you are completely at the mercy of death at every moment, without the illusion that you are not. Without the distractions that make life worth living.”

“Men... be the man of your home.. Love your family and protect your wives... so at the end of the day... it wont matter if you live in a cardboard box... the love between you will always be enough.”

“I did not fully understand the havoc that war wreaks on communities. Yes war kills-I knew that-but that is only part of its destructive path. War makes widows and orphans. War cuts off arms and legs and rips emotional wounds that never fully heal. War drives people from their homes-in this case, hundreds of thousands-and dooms them to lives of poverty and displacement. ”