Sally Hayden says the main thing is uncertainty: you check news updates constantly, often hear an Israeli drone buzzing above, and assess evacuation warnings. In March 2026 the warning maps covered huge areas of the city, including her apartment, so she stayed at a friend's house for about six weeks.

From a distance an airstrike site looks like a mass of grey, but she noticed signs of civilian life: children's copybooks, nappies, high-heeled shoes, a pram, UNO cards. She photographs close-ups without touching anything, to show the human and civilian impact, and the Irish Times ran a photo series of them.

After university she won a student prize from the Irish Times with a grant to go to Malawi. Instead of a hotel and a producer, she rented a room, used public transport and stayed over a month. A corruption scandal there showed her the value of accurate information and how little international coverage some crises get.

She takes calculated risks: years of building experience, security training and WhatsApp groups where colleagues share updates. In Nabatieh airstrikes began all around her while she was with paramedics, and someone on a motorbike was killed nearby. She admits she was scared but felt it was valuable to report.

It collects love stories she found in countries she reported from or visited for the book, including Ukraine, Japan, Iraq and Rwanda. Eight years in the making, it covers love for partners, family, community and humanity, and argues that writers help people have empathy and see that humans are more alike than different.