Chris Cleave asks more of us. Everyone Brave is Forgiven is a novel inspired by his grandparents' history in WWII. It is a familiar story, but entirely unique. It was the greatest generation, undeniably heroic. But to deny their daily struggles, and their sins small and large, is to dehumanize them, to distance them from our own potential for greatness. The racism he portrays is atrocious. War exacerbates our tendencies. It pares our priorities to primary needs: food, safety, human connection. We must be brave in peacetime as well. We must remember the lessons of war, of what we should be fighting for, and honor its sacrifices. Think of what we are capable. Cleave's writing is smart and beautiful, but never overwrought. In an author's note, he uses a metaphor for writing the novel, one story in a giant war. Like the soldiers he portrays digging in the shallow dirt at Malta to plant seeds, he can just dig a small hole. I'd extend the metaphor to say that not only did his seeds take root, but that he hit bedrock, and his tale echoes with the widening resonance of its greater truths.
At some point, one would think that every possible story, angle, battle, relationship that arose from WW2 has been told. What more could there be? The sad truth is that as long as there is the possibility of going to war again, we need to remember what happened in previous wars – the loss, the pain, the privations, the toll paid by individuals and nations. Chris Cleave beautifully reminds us and indeed teaches us about engaging characters and heart-wrenching situations. Everyone Brave is Forgiven follows young, eager and privileged Mary, anxious to do her part as soon as Britain declares war. Tom and Alistair are flatmates; one enlists and the other continues to work in London and they both love Mary. Though she sees herself as a spy or as an attache to a general, Mary finds herself teaching school. Her commitment and bravery in London during the Blitz are matched by that of the soldiers stationed on Malta. The letters that pass between the two fronts both illuminate and obfuscate the reality of both situations. The story moves quickly and the dialogue is reminiscent of Evelyn Waugh and Oscar Wilde – brisk, smart, world-weary, and totally entrancing.
“Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, from best-selling author Cleave, is storytelling at its finest. Ranging from the decimated streets of London after the Nazi blitz in WWII to the barren island of Malta under siege, Cleave's mastery is to introduce readers to characters in the midst of chaos who bring humanity to the sordid landscape of war. A book that will leave you both laughing and crying on the same page, Everyone Brave Is Forgiven reminds readers about the power of the novel in telling the fascinating stories of everyday people living in extraordinary times.”
— Casey Protti (E), Bookshop Santa Cruz, Santa Cruz, CA
The breathtaking new novel set during the Blitz by the bestselling and critically acclaimed author of the reader and bookseller favourite, "Little Bee."
As World War Two begins, Mary--a newly qualified teacher in London, left behind to teach the few children not evacuated--meets Tom, a school official. They quickly fall in love, but this is not a simple love story. . . . Moving from Blitz-torn London to the Siege of Malta, this is an epic story of love, loss, prejudice and incredible courage.
