Lovely War

Publisher's Summary

Read the novel New York Times best-selling author of The Alice Network Kate Quinn called "easily one of the best novels I have read all year". A sweeping, multilayered romance set in the perilous days of World Wars I and II, where gods hold the fates - and the hearts - of four mortals in their hands.

They are Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette. A classical pianist from London, a British would-be architect turned soldier, a Harlem-born ragtime genius in the US Army, and a Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past. Their story, as told by goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus, is filled with hope and heartbreak, prejudice and passion, and reveals that, though war is a formidable force, it's no match for the transcendent power of love.

Author Julie Berry's critically acclaimed writing has been called "haunting and unforgettable" by New York Times best-selling author of Salt to the Sea Ruta Sepetys and "utterly original and instantly engrossing" by Publishers Weekly.

©2019 Julie Berry (P)2019 Listening Library

Critic Reviews

"This fascinating, gorgeously written novel of World War I will grip you and remind you that the greatest danger is closing our hearts to love." (Nancy Werlin, National Book Award honoree and New York Times best seller)

“Julie Berry writes the past as if she lived it.” (Jennifer Donnelly, New York Times best-selling author) 

“Scheherazade has nothing on Berry.... An unforgettable romance so Olympian in scope, human at its core, and lyrical in its prose that it must be divinely inspired.” (Kirkus Reviews) 

Lovely account of men, women, and racial experiences in WW1

Many books I’ve read about WW1 and WW2 have been focused on women OR men. This novel creates a full picture of the war’s effects on women, men, race, and nationalism. Rarely has PTS(D) been introduced as a result of service, so that was nice to see included in the broader look at war. It’s not a gory book but I would have liked a little more of a detailed account of James’s battles. Overall, if war novels are your jam and you’re not looking for something like The Nightingale or Unbroken, then this romantic version is a light and fun read/listen. The narrators are also fantastic.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Loved

The various narrators add to this beautifully told story. Love the addition of Greek mythology

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

A Lovely Book, Indeed!

Such a sweet, touching, funny, and heartbreaking story! This is not my typical genre but I loved every minute of it. Julie Berry is my new favorite author!!

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Excellent story of love, music and history

This book was way better than I initially expected it to be. The history that was included in the story was very moving and I loved the way Greek mythology was intertwined with the characters motivations.

1 of 1 people found this review helpful

Top of the Best

This read/listen totaly captured my wife and myself. It brought to light a personal side of the average people who were the players in WW1.
The performance was very good we loved multiple readers.
Using the Greek Gods as catalyst to move the story is interesting.

A Love Story - A Flawed Mishmash

This novel is a war time love story and as such falls in line with likely thousands of other war time love stories. Perhaps because the genre is common the author, Julie Berry wanted her work to standout from the crowd by framing the story of her four protagonists via narratives presented by Greek gods. The initial chapter where this construct is set up had me truly confused as I had not fully read the book details ahead of time wherein it was stated that Apollo, Aphrodite, Hades, Ares, etc would be doing so. Once the reader moves away from the introduction to Aphrodite and Ares “trial” and onto the lovers’ war tale, the novel was an engaging and light listen despite the horrors of war. I kept asking myself, however, why the utilization of Greek gods to tell the story and for them to insinuate themselves into the characters actions via godlike influences. Initially I thought that eventually it will all tie in and I’ll get this author’s conceit, appreciating her choice. That realization never materialized. The gods were distractions and I feel rather silly.

The silliness was exacerbated by the voice performances of three of the leading readers: Jayne Entwistle reading as Aphrodite, Dion Graham as Apollo, and John Lee as Hades. In Entwistle’s case, her voice sounds like a prepubescent girl and not at all like the goddess of love, sensuality, and passion despite the words she’s reading. Dion Graham as Apollo and who was the main presenter of the African American soldier/musician (Aubry Edwards) read his part as if he was at the Apollo theater making Apollo sound Black and hip. Finally Hades performed by John Lee, a Brit, was so confused by his remit that when he had the job of speaking dialogue of the Aubry Edwards, instead of trying to affect a genuine African American cadence/accent, he incomprehensibly made him sound like he was white wise-guy from Brooklyn. For me, none of the voice actors were effective and I think it’s because they were confused by the set up as well. It seems as though the producer told them to adopt the attitudes of the characters the gods were presenting as opposed to the gods that they were.

I’ve read several positive reviews of this book and well, you never know what people will like or dislike. At the end, Julie Berry reads quite a few interesting end notes regarding her research into the book and that section is more compelling than the entire novel. She obviously did her homework and I would be inclined to read further into her suggested reading and wish she had just stuck to a perfectly reasonable novel based on that research as opposed to incongruously insinuating Greek god narrators into the mix. And if these distracting gods just had to be there, have the voice actors be directed to narrate like the gods not the mere mortals.

0 of 1 people found this review helpful