"Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all -well, yes and no. Read A CRUEL CALM's view of this age old dilemma." Rita Mae Brown, author of eleven novels and two time Emmy Award nominee. A CRUEL CALM, Paris Between the Wars, is a moving love story set in the era between World Wars I and II, a time of idealism and innovation when Paris was the cultural capital of the Western World. Politics, religion and social mores determine the fate of Elisabeth, a young Catholic socialite from Washington, D.C., as she learns whether it is only after great sorrow that love can come again. A CRUEL CALM brings Paris society and culture alive as Elisabeth experiences the aftermath of the first world war while mingling with writers, artists and socialites such as Gertrude Stein, James Joyce, Virginia Woolf, Coco Chanel, Joseph Campbell and Ernest Hemingway. With the omen of a new world war brewing, this is a story replete with historical detail, universal conflict, and forbidden love. "Better to have loved and lost than never to have loved at all-well, yes and no. Read Daly-Lipe's view of this age old dilemma." Rita Mae Brown, author of eleven novels, poet and two-time Emmy nominee. "On the surface, "A Cruel Calm" is a romantic "coming of age" novel about love, loss, and redemption. It throws in a surprising ending to boot. But it's not "just" a love story ... Daly-Lipe spices up her story with side trips to such diverse areas as the history of aviation, the American exile community in Paris, modern art, Hannibal, and the Catholic Church. The diverse characters include Charles Lindbergh, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein-and each of them belongs in the story ... I enjoyed it enormously." Robert Goodman, founder and past president of PW SD, award-winning book designer, recognized speaker, and board member of PMA, The Independent Publishers Marketing Association, San Diego, California. "Patricia Daly-Lipe has written a fascinating and compelling account of life in Paris between the two world wars from the point of view of a young and inexperienced Catholic woman. She has obviously researched her subject extensively, and deftly weaves social norms, glimpses of cultural giants, both literary and artistic, of the period as well as a look at history. "She combines with this a moving love story and a delightful tour of the city, as well as other locations in France. You will feel you are there!" Kay Pfaltz, Author of Lauren's Story: An American Dog in Paris. "Supurb work. I appreciate the quality, the substance, and the style. Very well done." The late Dr. M. P. Cosman, Esq., Pulitzer Prize nominee, National Book Award winner, author and lawyer. "A rare inside glimpse of a remarkable era: Paris between the wars. A love story with many turns and unexpected twists, told within the context of the Paris that will never return again-the Paris of giants like Hemingway, F. Scott Fitzgerald, James Joyce, and Gertrude Stein. The Paris that was the cultural capital of the West, where idealism, innovation, experimentation and taboos reigned. I recommend it highly to romantic buffs, historical buffs and avid readers in general." Michael O. Schwager, President of Worldlink Media Consultants, Inc "History with a Twist: I adore fiction and I adore Paris, but this fascinating story kept me glued to my seat. The characters and situation, always more compelling when based on true life, were beautifully drawn. What a wonderful window into a time that we know about but have not witnessed! And how brave of Ms. Lipe to share these intimate details. She draws us in and keeps us reading until the final page." Erica Miner, Author Travels with my Lovers and Murder in the Pit, The roaring twenties "Like any great classic, the reader comes away feeling that he or she has learned something about the human journey. In this book, the author achieves it by telling a poignant romance based on a fictionalized version of her mother's life in Paris. She also achieves it by weaving into this personal story the character of the roaring twenties, when breakthroughs in technology seemed to make anything possible. I've never seen anything so creative and unique-the author puts the great aviator Lindbergh in the story, as well as literary giants such as James Joyce and Gertrude Stein. They actually interact with the heroine, and what they say are truly their own words. Very clever and beautifully written." Veronica Li, Author: Nightfall in Mogadishu and Journey Across the Four Seas: A Chinese Woman's Search for Home Although born in La Jolla, California, Patricia spent half her childhood in Washington, D.C., the home of several generations of her mother's family. In 1961, her mother died. Only 18, Patricia returned to Vassar College with a year at the Catholic University of Louvain, Belgium, and earned a B.A. degree in Philosophy. Later, as a single parent of three children, she raised, raced, and showed Thoroughbred horses. She also completed a Masters deg