Books about war are often peopled with characters who are unbelievably courageous or ignominious cowards right from the very beginning, cheating the reader of knowing why they became that way. In Everyone Brave is Forgiven, however, Cleave sets up a much more realistic scenario where a trio of characters grow into and react to what is happening around them and based on those experiences either become stronger or break under the weight of war’s mercilessness.  Set in England and Malta from September 1939 until June of 1942. Cleave explores the harrowing days of the London Blitz and the blockade of Malta and the effects the relentless uncertainty the bombing had on the population of London and the sheer terror of the men on Malta who realize there was no means of escape, as an overpowering enemy force came towards them.

Mary North, a young socialite still in finishing school, is convinced that she can contribute something to the war effort and signs up at the War Office knowing that she will be assigned some sort of  glamorous work like being a spy. But Whitehall in its infinite wisdom decides that Mary was needed as a teacher and assigned her to Hawley Street School in downtown London, where her dreams of a glamorous war died. Not only that, her first assignment for her class was to prepare them for their evacuation from London, essentially asking her to work herself out of a job! However, Zachary, the school’s sole black child, resists being evacuated and Mary, defying the racism of her class, decides to teach him and others like him who have not left London.

Tom Shaw had no interest in the war. Instead he wanted to focus on the school district in London that he had been given to run. Very few children were left after the evacuation, but those that remain need his help and attention. So when Mary showed up wanting to teach, he was grateful and intrigued. It seemed as if his strategy to ignore the war was going to work out splendidly, until his flatmate, Alistair, told him he had signed up and was leaving within three days for training and then shipping out for the war.

Alistair, was an art conservator who had been working feverishly trying to save the major artworks housed in various museums and government buildings around London. Now they were down to just a few more pieces of art to pack and send from London to be stored in safe places for the duration of the war. Seeing the end in sight, he had signed up to do his part in the greater was effort.

Cleave takes these three very disparate characters and weaves their stories together. Based loosely on his grandparent’s lives, he has used their letters and family stories to give us a glimpse into actual loss and hardship. Cleave’s well crafted plot, shimmering prose balanced with sharp English wit combine to make a profoundly moving elegy on the vicissitudes of war and the promise of love and friendship.

Brenda’s Rating: *****(5 out of 5 Stars)

Recommend this book to: Sharon, Marian, Keith and Ken

Book Study Worthy? YES!

Read in ebook format.