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Fiction. Literature. Historical Fiction. HTML:The instant New York Times bestseller from Chris Cleave�??the unforgettable novel about three lives entangled during World War II, told "with dazzling prose, sharp English wit, and compassion...a powerful portrait of war's effects on those who fight and those left behind" (People, Book of the Week). London, 1939. The day war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up. Tom Shaw decides to ignore the war�??until he learns his roommate Alistair Heath has unexpectedly enlisted. Then the conflict can no longer be avoided. Young, bright, and brave, Mary is certain she'd be a marvelous spy. When she is�??bewilderingly�??made a teacher, she finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary. And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship, and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams. The three are drawn into a tragic love triangle and�??as war escalates and bombs begin falling�??further into a grim world of survival and desperation. Set in London during the years of 1939�??1942, when citizens had slim hope of survival, much less victory; and on the strategic island of Malta, which was daily devastated by the Axis barrage, Everyone Brave is Forgiven features little-known history and a perfect wartime love story inspired by the real-life love letters between Chris Cleave's grandparents. This dazzling novel dares us to understand that, against the great theater of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs… (more)
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“Mary leaned back, exhaled, and watched her smoke rise. 'What sort of man do you want anyway?'
"Tall. Funny. Never came top of his class or pulled the wings off bees."
"Yes, but I mean
Hilda snorted. "(I) just want a tall man and a stiff drink. You could even swap the adjectives.”
This WWII novel is set in London and battle areas, principally Malta (where a grandfather of author Cleave fought). Its five principal characters are Mary, an attractive, broad-minded 18 year old from a wealthy family who volunteers immediately upon war being declared, her close but less prepossessing friend Hilda, who helps Mary but gets annoyed that men always gravitate toward her, teaching administrator Tom who finds a class for Mary to teach, Tom's friend Alistair, an art restorer at the Tate who joins the war as an officer, and Zachary, a young black student of Mary's whom she helps amid the era's racism.
It's an exceptionally well-told story that, among other things, depicts the bombing's effects on the city and its populace vividly and better than any other book I've read on the subject. All the characters go through harrowing experiences of one kind or another. I found the use of the n-word and the racism difficult, but Cleave is making a legitimate point about the state of affairs at the time, and Mary will have none of it, thank goodness. I couldn't stop turning the pages, and the dialogue in particular is top of the line - smart, often surprising, and at times laugh-out-loud witty. Not quite five stars for me, but close.
Tom Shaw and Alistair Heath are roommates sharing a flat in London. Tom chooses not to join the military, and is given a school district in London to run instead. Alistair restores art, but almost immediately signs up for the service. Since Mary is appointed to be a teacher and Tom runs her school district, the two become friends and are attracted to each other.
Alistair quickly finds himself in the heat of the battle in France and later on in the Siege of Malta.
After Mary's teaching is forced to come to an end, she and her close friend Hilda volunteer with the Air Raid Precautions, serving as ambulance drivers / first aid attendants during the bombing in London.
Cleave is wonderful and powerful writer , portraying the horrors and depravity of war with vivid images. Relationships are well and realistically drawn and make up an important part of the story. Despite the savage portrayal of war, Chris Cleve leavens the book with dark humour.
A few quotes :
As Mary begs for her classroom to be re- opened " Then what are we to do with crooked and the coloured and the slow? Are we to let them rot, simply because it is not policy for them to exist?" p 226
As Alistair endeavors to cope with death and near starvation at the battle front , at Christmas time
"The orderlies brought in something that the cook had made of out of breadcrumbs and canned malevolence...." Alistair lifted the corner with his fork .' I don't know whether to put mustard or marmalade on it.'" p 215
In a letter written by Mary " I was brought up to believe that everyone brave was forgiven, but in wartime, courage is cheap and clemency out of season'". p 245
A beautifully written and thought provoking read that is destined to perhaps be my favorite of 2016.
Highly recommended and I am delighted to read that Chris Cleave is planning a sequel in some three years or so.
5 stars.
Overall, I liked this book, and there are a number of particularly moving scenes and horrific scenes. (I did not know that the British army on Malta was under siege, for example, and the description of life for the men as supplies dwindled was quite an eye opener.) Cleave goes a little heavy on "smart" conversation, which sometimes makes his characters seem irritatingly artificial; perhaps he means to use this as a cover for their insecurities, but I wish he had used it more sparingly. I felt at times like I was watching one of those horrid late 1930s British films where everyone is so darn phony and you just want to smack them. That's the main reason my rating (3.5) is down a notch from the 4+ average.
I enjoyed this book on several levels. I learned a lot about the English experience during WWII and about the racism that existed there that I had never known before. Through the interaction of several characters that play a
The story is narrated expertly by Luke Thompson using a unique voice for each character which was individually discernible and identifiable. The romantic side of the story may be a bit too obvious, but the details of the war were graphic and descriptive giving the reader a credible picture of life there, at that time. The reader is placed right into the thick of things with bombs falling, soldiers dying and the citizenry suffering the exigencies of war in their own individual ways, according to their circumstances. There were shortages; there was destruction coupled with grave injuries and death, but there was also love and romance, compassion and dedication, all existing in varying degrees side by side, depending on where one lived and the class from which one came.
Mary North marched to the beat of her own drummer, even as an 18 year old teenager. She defied the rules of her upper class hierarchy. She attempted to join the war effort and was given a teaching post, although she had absolutely no experience. She realized that she loved working with the children but was fired because she treated Zachary Lee, a black student, with what was thought of as excessive kindness and concern; she simply treated him as she would treat any of the white students. She was basically disciplined for her compassion and honesty and broad minded acceptance of all people and their equal ability to succeed.
When she met Tom Shaw, who was in charge of hiring, she begged for another position. He was from a different class, but he was smitten by her. Their romance blossomed, and he subsequently created a teaching position for her, even when the budget was tight. Together they helped those young evacuees rejected by the families in the countryside because they were deficient, disabled or black. She introduced her best friend Hilda, not quite as lovely or socially adept as Mary, to Tom’s friend, Alistair Heath. Alistair was an art restorer from the appropriate upper class. When Alistair and Mary met, there was a spark that ignited the chemistry between the two of them instead. Mary resisted it, at first, because she loved Tom, and because Hilda was angry that she was once again attempting to take a beau away from her. Alistair is soon shipped out to Malta where he experiences the brutal hardships of war on that small barren island.
The author made the class consciousness of the Brits extremely transparent using the views of the various characters. Even some of the more broad and open minded upper classes viewed the blacks as “less than”. Those in the lower classes who happened to be white also felt that way. Their ignorance about the color of skin was displayed when one character queried Zachary about how he got his skin color. She wondered if he was burned. She wondered if he was in pain. It seems absurd, but I think that the author must have researched this attitude and is using that reality to enhance his fictional tale about England during WWII, a war that was carried on for several years without the help of America, whose eventual entry signaled a more positive end to the combat. The upper classes were shielded from the actual fog of war by the frivolity of their own lives as they knitted socks for the soldiers but still managed to carry on with their social lives and causes, parties and balls.
During that time in England, white children were being given every advantage over black children, regarding education, safety, food and shelter. Black children were looked down upon, called names and abused by those who thought they were superior to them. The less fortunate were expected to suffer the dangers of the war while those more fortunate were eagerly evacuated. The rescue of white children went smoothly while those deficient or racially unacceptable were rejected and sent back home. Helping blacks was frowned upon by the upper classes and those that did suffered from the tongue lashings and gossip of their peers. Sanctioned injustice was the norm.
Women, at that time, were not independent and were expected to behave properly, not to fraternize with people of color, not to go to places where they congregated and surely not to teach them since it was believed they could not learn. At the same time, the people of color did not want to draw attention to themselves because they did not want to upset the apple cart which allowed them to live in peace in London. It was a fragile situation requiring the walking of a tightrope by all.
The atrocities of war were painted sharply; some images were of cruelties and a kind of violence that I had never dreamed of or heard of before. The brutality of the citizens toward their captured enemy has not often been revealed, rather the enemy’s cruelty has been stressed above all else. Still while the anger of the citizenry may have been justified in such hostile times, their barbaric behavior was not. The author clearly shows the force of a mob mentality out of control. He also highlighted the fact that doing the right thing does not always bring about the right result. When the soldier, Alistair, tried to stop a mob from torturing an injured enemy pilot, he himself was seriously wounded by that same pilot while he was trying to protect and help him.
I loved the part of the book that featured the bantering back and forth in letters and/or dialogue between the characters. The humor lightened the heavy mood of the scenes of war and deprivation in which those in active and inactive combat were equally injured. Some were soon dying and some were starving in London. They were starving and dying on Malta. They were sitting ducks there, suffering their injuries, death, privation and exhaustion without outside help. As the conditions in London worsened and the bombings increased, the experiences of both Londoners and the soldiers on the battlefield were sharply defined by the author. The hazards of war, with the haphazardness of personal survival, had to be faced by each of them in one capacity or another everyday. The disillusionment about the purpose and the end results of the war was also clearly explored and exposed.
I think it was obvious how the book would end from the beginning, partly because of our knowledge of history, but also because of the way the story was rolled out. It was often enhanced with a touch of humor and the information provided was interesting. The romance lightened the subject matter by exposing choices that all readers could identify with and understand. The war united people of different classes and different races, but would it last when the war ended? Would the romances begun survive afterwards in the light of the new day?
The book truly illustrates the effect of war on those fighting it and those observing it, those drawn to nationalism engaging in the fight directly and those drawn to defending their country in more intellectual pursuits. Each of the characters risked their lives in a different way; each faced danger and tried to rise to the occasion when necessary to preserve and protect those less fortunate and those defending them from their enemies. This is a book worth reading for its war perspective and its insight into the way people viewed it and treated each other during that time. It might make the reader wonder if society has changed all that much since then.
I earmarked some passages in the story to support my declaration of the power and beauty if the prose but after a time I realized it was too much!
the story is incredibly beautiful, full of touching and poignant writing that left me in tears over and over again.
I was not surprised when reading the Authors notes at the end that the idea came from his grandparents experiences during the war.
this is a wonderful historical novel that deserves all the accolades it is receiving and I shall certainly read more of this author.
It's been a while since his last book. GOLD was published in 2012, and I read it the instant it was available, so I started to doubt myself. What if Chris Cleave isn't as good as I remembered?! What if he
Fortunately, the man did not disappoint with his latest effort, EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN. The book is set during World War II with much of the action taking place in London and on Malta.
I admit to having a soft spot for historical fiction. I love a good war book. I get sentimental when I read about brave fighters--especially when my oldest son is in the middle of a deployment. That said, what Chris Cleave has written is so gorgeous and so heart-wrenching, I don't have the words to properly describe it. As with Cleave's first book INCENDIARY, EVERYONE BRAVE IS FORGIVEN isn't a book I'll recommend to everyone. However, if you're a fan of beautiful writing, and if you want to have a view of the pain that comes with war that will leave you crying yourself to sleep every night--but written in the loveliest of ways--then be sure to pick up this book.
Thank you, thank you, THANK YOU to NetGalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for this unbiased review.
Tom has plans to sit out the war but, as so many men head off to fight, he gets a position as School Administrator for those children who, for various reasons, either can’t be evacuated or who are returned to London because no one will take them in: the poor, the less attractive (or too attractive), those who are mentally and physically challenged, or non-white. He meets Mary and the two become lovers.
Alistair is Tom’s best friend. He enlists almost immediately. He is sent to France and his life becomes one of long and grueling days of marching and boredom broken occasionally by the horror of enemy airstrikes and hidden land mines. Finally, on leave, he returns home and Tom introduces him to Mary. The two are instantly drawn to each other despite their loyalty to Tom. At the end of his leave, Alistair is assigned to Malta where airstrikes, hunger, rain, mud and the death of close friends are seemingly unending.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven is the latest novel by author Chris Cleave and I have seen it described as an historical romance set in wartime. However, although there are certainly elements of romance here, that is a much too simplistic description of this book and doesn’t do it nearly enough justice. Often novels about war-time England seem to be just longer variations on that famous motivational poster from the British government, now a popular internet meme, Keep Calm and Carry On; the stereotypical British stiff upper lip, the almost immediate return to relative normalcy after an air raid, the kindness and welcoming of evacuated children to the countryside, and the instant romances. But this story transcends that simplistic view of what it means to be both a soldier and a civilian caught in the realities of war. It is more honest, more moving, more emotionally and intellectually challenging.
It focuses on the facts of war that have rarely been expressed in novels except those by once soldiers: the boredom and the fear, the immediacy and unpredictability of death, the horrors of the bombings, the sense of displacement, shock, grief, and sense of guilt of the survivors, and the use of humour to help them carry on. And it shows something I have rarely seen before in a novel: the overt racism that permeated Britain even as they were fighting a brutal war against fascism.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven is a beautifully written book with clever dialogue, memorable characters and stark powerful imagery. It is, at once, heart-warming and heart-rending and I can’t recommend it highly enough.
Thomas lives with his roommate Alistair, who gets deployed to fight in the war fairly early on in the book. Thomas struggles with falling in love with his employee and the insecurities that arise along with that. He also struggles with a guilt for not fighting in combat in the war like Alistair and many other fellow English men. However, we do see him mature through this plot from an insecure man who relies on his roommate for moral support to proving his strength and becoming a selfless man desperate to try to keep the love of his life, Mary.
Alistair is a very witty soldier who moves up in the ranks of the military yet pines for the days before the military became his life. He struggles physically and mentally in the war, yet his sense of humor and friendliness remain unscathed. He returns from war briefly, only to be sent back out and shipped to Malta for combat. In this military transfer, he agreed to a double date with Thomas and Mary, and Mary's best friend, Hilda. This mingling of main characters sparks further altercations and misunderstandings among all four of these characters that carry on through the end of the book.
Zachary is a young boy who loves school with Miss Mary despite his struggles with reading. His father is a performer and a single father who lives at the theater with Zachary. Zachary's character develops into a strong leader who helps fellow children that have also fallen through the cracks due to the war. He demonstrates a keen sense of responsibility at such a young age and a deep respect for Mary despite their racial differences that society was so offended by at the time.
Chris Cleave masterfully created this story with an inspiration from his grandparents. He creatively showed how war among countries destroys the human race physically, mentally, and emotionally. It is beautifully represented through multiple vehicles such as societal defiance, rifts in friendships and relationships, depression, drug abuse, deforming injuries, and even death. There were parts where the descriptive narration ran a bit long, however, do not mistake it for obnoxious fillers. For those were the parts creating the tension needed to catapult a reader's expectations into situations that challenged these characters to show strength and determination.
This book has different narratives from Tom, Mary, Alistair, and Zachary. For the most part, the narratives interchange by changing each chapter. However, there were some chapters that they interchanged by reacting to a certain situation. For example, Mary's insecurities about her relationship with Tom swayed from her despair to Tom's desperation to maintain their relationship and then back to Mary to continue the narration. Although one could find this to be an unwelcome interruption in narration, another could find it to be crucial to discover what the other character's true thoughts were. Personally, I found it to further provide a realistic and human approach to insecurities which are quite normal in any relationship, particularly romantic ones.
For those who may be offended, there are many points in the book where the N-word is used, as well as cigarette smoking by adults and children, drug abuse, sexually suggested scenes (very mild), and violence (it is a book about war, after all).
Please note: This book was generously provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.
It is 1939 and war has been declared. Privileged young socialite, Mary North leaves her Swiss finishing school and signs up to serve. She is assigned to teach at an elementary school. When her charges are
Tom Shaw's roommate, Alistair Heath, has enlisted. He has experienced the war's brutality personally in France. When he comes home on leave before being assigned to Malta, he goes out on a double date with Tom and Mary, and Mary's friend, Hilda. The attraction between Mary and Alistair is immediate, but both of them resist it. Mary remains loyal to Tom, declaring her love.
As the war progresses, the bombing of London begins and the blitz makes no one safe. Alistair goes to Malta, where he faces even more desperate conditions and dangerous encounters. Mary and Hilda both begin to write to Alistair. They also both step up their efforts to assist during the war and personal losses and stress begins to accumulate. Everyone is tested beyond their limits.
I love the title of this book. As it says, everyone brave is forgiven, should be forgiven, as they all try to do the best they can under horrendous, stressful circumstances. Perhaps they don't always do the most laudable thing, but they are all trying to be brave and should be extended grace to forgive any indiscretions or failings. Everyone Brave Is Forgiven is both heartbreaking and hopeful.
Cleave writes in the beginning note to the reader that this story was inspired by the real-life love letters between his grandparents.
The story itself is perhaps one that could be and has been told many different times and ways. What makes this effort stand out is the sheer quality of the writing - it is incredible. I was pulled into the story immediately based on the excellence of the writing. Cleave does an extraordinary, insightful job creating his characters and exploring their innermost emotions and thoughts as they face forces beyond their control and must find a way to survive them. They are not perfect; they have flaws and shortcomings. They are real people experiencing extreme circumstances. At the same time Cleave perfectly captures and describes the setting and the situations the characters find themselves experiencing.
Disclosure: My Kindle edition was courtesy of Simon & Schuster for review purposes.
Mary meanwhile continued doing whatever she can to safeguard the children en survive during the endless German air bombings on London. The plot's full of fine details and motifs. From a jar of jam to be saved, pieces of art, the peculiar micro world of Malta, social justice, fairness to all, including Germans, the violence and deception. The story concludes with restoration of the love couple and forgiveness needed to get both physical and emotional wounds healed, and start over again.
Everyone Brave is Forgiven has a slow start, but gets better over time, really keeping you locked in in the third part.
It's a WWII love story which takes place in London while it is being bombed and on the Island of Malta, while it is being blockaded by the Nazis.
The main character are Mary North, Tom Shaw and his best friend Alistair. Mary, the
What I liked about the story was the dialogue between the characters which was quirky, funny and natural. I liked the characters, the descriptions of war torn London and Malta but I found myself skimming through some of the story.
The setting is 1939 in London at the start of World War II, moving on to Malta as the story progresses. It's historical fiction by a very talented author who based part of the
I've heard the expression "war is hell" and this touching novel proves that it's true. From the tragedies of the London Blitz and the air-raid shelters to the Siege of Malta, the horrors of war are evident. Some of it was hard for me to read but, having read numerous other accounts of the war, I know it's what really happened not only in London and Malta, but in other countries as well.
There is not only war in this novel but a tender love story, memorable characters, and side stories that all come together to make this a highly recommended novel. 5 Stars!
Some things just didn’t ring true. The racism experienced by Zachary brought South Carolina to mind, not pre-war England, there just weren’t that many blacks around, let alone American blacks. and I suspect that a black child moved to the country to escape the bombing would have been seen more as a curiosity rather than an object to be bullied.
Note that I was in the distinct minority in our reading club.
Everyone brave is forgiven.
Everyone forgiven is brave.
I do love that. This is a story based on a love story, about love and not love, war, race, hatred and its enduring place in the world. I learned things, too, and that is always a good thing, about minstrelry in
I have read all of Chris Cleave's books but I'm afraid this was the one I enjoyed the least. The rest of my book group thoroughly enjoyed it and one member came armed with all the wonderful quotes that had appealed to her, but it didn't excite me.
I have procrastinated with this
We were lucky to meet Chris Cleave at our Literary festival and it was fascinating to hear how he had drawn from his grandfather's experiences during WWII, when he was stationed in Malta, some of which he used in the narrative.
I loved the vibrant character of Mary; she is from a wealthy family but throws herself into the war effort. She had fancied herself as a spy but takes on the role of teacher with enthusiasm. Her students end up being the children rejected from the country evacuations - children with disabilities and colour.
The two other main characters were her boss, Tom, an administrator in education, and his artistic friend, Alistair. Neither of these characters interested me as much as Mary, but both of them play an important part in her life.
There is also a side story around one of Mary's pupils, Zach, a black boy whose father is a minstrel in the Minstrel Show in London. Zach is one of the children rejected from the countryside, probably dyslexic, and Mary develops a special fondness for him.
Judging from the reactions of my friends I would highly recommend this book, don't take any notice of my views, I was definitely in the minority :)
Previously read:
Little Bee (The Other Hand) - 4 stars
Incendiary - 5 stars
Gold - 4 starsI have read all of Chris Cleave's books but I'm afraid this was the one I enjoyed the least. The rest of my book group thoroughly enjoyed it and one member came armed with all the wonderful quotes that had appealed to her, but it didn't excite me.
I have procrastinated with this review because I'm not exactly sure what it was about the book that dropped it to three (and a half) stars. A lot happens, and I'm wondering if I found the transitions a bit chunky. The flow of a book is always very important to me. I also related to some of the characters more than others, which could have affected my response.
We were lucky to meet Chris Cleave at our Literary festival and it was fascinating to hear how he had drawn from his grandfather's experiences during WWII, when he was stationed in Malta, some of which he used in the narrative.
I loved the vibrant character of Mary; she is from a wealthy family but throws herself into the war effort. She had fancied herself as a spy but takes on the role of teacher with enthusiasm. Her students end up being the children rejected from the country evacuations - children with disabilities and colour.
The two other main characters were her boss, Tom, an administrator in education, and his artistic friend, Alistair. Neither of these characters interested me as much as Mary, but both of them play an important part in her life.
There is also a side story around one of Mary's pupils, Zach, a black boy whose father is a minstrel in the Minstrel Show in London. Zach is one of the children rejected from the countryside, probably dyslexic, and Mary develops a special fondness for him.
Judging from the reactions of my friends I would highly recommend this book, don't take any notice of my views, I was definitely in the minority :)
Previously read:
Little Bee (The Other Hand) - 4 stars
Incendiary - 5 stars
Gold - 4 stars
Mary is an idealistic 18 year old girl who believes she has been called to be a teacher merely as subterfuge for the real job the War Office wants her to do which is to be a spy or something equally as exotic & heroic. They surely
I can't say more because if I start I'll not be able to shut up and will give the story away. Let me say instead this is one of the best books I've read. What I love about Chris Cleave's books is he makes me feel what the characters feel and makes me able to hear the characters voices so clearly. In this book I felt my self in London during the bombings, I found myself gripping my seat and holding my breath hoping the bombs weren't going to hit. I laughed, cried and was utterly caught up in Mary's life in London and Alistair's in the war. It was a shock when I quit reading and I was back in my safe, comfortable house. I know this story will stay with me for a long time.
The book got off to a slow start for me and had many ups and downs in terms of its appeal. It's billed as a sweeping epic and it does fit the bill but it was a bit dry in places and over-worded and I didn't feel as much for the characters as I would have liked. However, there are some brilliant sections and the quality of the writing is still fantastic. Whilst I liked parts of this book, I didn't enjoy it overall as much as any of his other books, despite a wartime setting which always appeals and interests me. I look forward to seeing what Cleave comes up with next as all of his books are different.
Mary North is a young, upper middle class girl who runs away from her finishing school
Unfortunately, the job Mary is assigned to is that of a school teacher. In that capacity, she meets Tom Shaw, a young man who is trying to avoid military service. Tome and Mary fall into wartime love.
When Tom's friend, Alistair Heath, comes home on leave Mary and time try to set him up with Hilda. However, Mary and Alistair take one look st each other and unwelcome lightning strikes.
How these four people navigate their way through the first three years of the war is a tale of bravery, loyalty and loss that seems very real to the reader. the characters don't always act in the most admirable manner, but it's wartime and as the title says, everyone brave is forgiven.