From Homer to Tim O’Brien, war literature remains largely the domain of male
writers, and traditional narratives imply that the burdens of war are carried by men. But women
and children disproportionately suffer the consequences of conflict: famine, disease, sexual
abuse, and emotional trauma caused by loss of loved ones, property, and means of subsistence.
Collateral Damage tells the stories of those who struggle on the
margins of armed conflict or who attempt to rebuild their lives after a war. Bringing together
the writings of female authors from across the world, this collection animates the wartime
experiences of women as military mothers, combatants, supporters, war resisters, and victims.
Their stories stretch from Rwanda to El Salvador, Romania to Sri Lanka, Chile to Iraq. Spanning
fiction, poetry, drama, essay, memoir, and reportage, the selections are contextualized by brief
author commentaries.
The first collection to embrace so wide a range of contemporary authors from such diverse backgrounds, Collateral Damage seeks to validate and shine a light on the experiences of women by revealing the consequences of war endured by millions whose voices are rarely heard.
