You know when you finally pick up a book that’s been a glorified dust collector for months because you’ve made a pact with yourself to not buy any new books for the duration of the summer? No? Just me?
I’m not sure why it took me so long to get my butt in gear and check out Lovely Wars by Julie Berry. I guess it was a combination of not being in the mood for a war-time romance and I was weary of the combination of Greek mythology and the gods and goddesses having a hand in the lives of people experiencing World War I. At first, it sounded way too complex and far-fetched for Berry to successfully mesh the two together.
Buuuut because I’m forcing myself to give the books I currently have a chance (and because I had people vote on Instagram whether I should read this next), I read Lovely Wars and was very pleasantly surprised by this story.
This story is told from the varying perspectives of four Greek deities as they collaboratively weave the tale for their fellow god, Hephaestus (god of craftsmen). The deities involved in the telling are Ares (god of war), Apollo (god of music), Hades (god of the underworld) and Aphrodite (goddess of love). They each take turns sharing their role in the plot. The gods and goddess recount the tale of four individuals brought together during the devastation of World War I, with the help and encouragement of the divine beings.
Hazel is a young British girl, gifted at playing the piano and the only child and apple of her parents’ eye. She meets a young man at a dance named James, and they are immediately enthralled with each other.
But this is war time and falling in love is a recipe for almost certain heartbreak. James is summoned to serve his country in The Great War, with the promise of Hazel waiting for him when (and if) he returns. However, Hazel is a girl of action and seeks out her own path for doing her part for the war efforts.
hold me purse, James.”
Colette is a Belgian girl who has experienced far more devastation and loss at the hands of the enemy than anyone could comprehend. Colette has endured the extreme violence World War I has unleashed throughout Europe, and has reached deep within herself to find the ability to survive and push on. In order to quite literally pull herself from the ashes, Colette becomes a YMCA volunteer, helping to rally the spirits of the newly deployed American troops and encourage them to help Europe win the war against Germany.
Aubrey is an African American pianist from Harlem, with aspirations to strike it big on the music scene. When WWI demands American soldiers, he enlists to help fight and defend his country and to make his family proud. Because of extreme segregation and racism though, Aubrey and his company are assigned duties that are far less heroic than he’d anticipated. Fortunately, when stationed in France Aubrey crosses paths with Hazel, who shares his affinity for playing the piano. And through her, he’s introduced to her friend Colette, a Belgian beauty he almost instantly falls head over heels for.
But because these two sets of young lovers find each other during tumultuous chaos, what should be a carefree and happy time in their lives is wrought with loss, turmoil, and bittersweet love. With the intervening powers of the deities, there are moments of great passion and joy, but just as many of extreme pain and sadness.
Because Berry writes these two love stories from the perspectives of the Greek deities, there’s an added layer of mysticism and romance I’ve never encountered in a book before. It’s brilliantly magical and creative in a way that makes the story fly by.
Sidenote: Honestly, another reason I put Lovely War off for so long is it’s almost 500 pages (and I was being ridiculously lazy). But trust me, it doesn’t feel like a cumbersome amount of reading once you’ve been sucked in (which is the mark of an amazing book)!
Ron knows what’s up.
Though this is supposed to be a YA romance, I definitely thought it read like adult historical fiction. Not because of mature content, but because it was not a juvenile kind of love, but complex, as most war time romances are. I give it 5 stars!
P.S. Book Buying Update: Holding strong!! Only… 2 more months?? Agh.
Happy & healthy reading!
Lexi
