Everyone Brave Is Forgiven

By Chris Cleave

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 young socialite, is determined to shock her blueblood political family by volunteering for the war effort. She is assigned as a teacher to children who were evacuated from London and have been rejected by the countryside because they are infirm, mentally disabled, or—like Mary’s favorite student, Zachary—have colored skin.

Tom, an education administrator, is distraught when his best friend, Alastair, enlists. Alastair, an art restorer, has always seemed far removed from the violent life to which he has now condemned himself. But Tom finds distraction in Mary, first as her employer and then as their relationship quickly develops in the emotionally charged times. When Mary meets Alastair, the three are drawn into a tragic love triangle and—while war escalates and bombs begin falling around them—further into a new world unlike any they’ve ever known.

Moving from Blitz-torn London to the Siege of Malta, this is an epic story of love, loss, prejudice and incredible courage.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Random House Publishing Group
• Release date: May 3, 2016
• ISBN: 9780385685030

Chris Cleave

Chris Cleave is the author of Everyone Brave is Forgiven, Gold, Incendiary, and the #1 New York Times bestseller Little Bee. He lives with his wife and three children in London, England. Visit him at ChrisCleave.com or on Twitter @ChrisCleave.

Reviews for Everyone Brave Is Forgiven

[knittinkitties · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I thought it was an ok story but nothing spectacular

[beth.clarke · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

3.5 I've read a lot of WW2 historical fiction and the characters just didn't compare. Mary's willingness to help teach children that others could care less about was touching. However, some parts really dragged and I had to work to care about Mary's love interests. Not terrible, but not great.

[skyeval · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Interesting read. Well written. I learned more about the WWII than in most novels as it covered the blitz and Malta. An interesting angle of the .

[smits_52 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This perhaps, is the best WWll book I have read and I have read a lot of them. I am a huge fan of Chris Cleave and enjoyed his other novels I have read. This one is no exception. WWll is shown without any glory but with gritty real life in it with characters who are human and that I loved. I loved Mary, a privilaged girl who has ideals and comes to maturity during wartime into a woman of depth . She discovers she is a good teacher . She teaches disabled children and a favorite student is black. I did not know such rampant racism existed in London but not with Mary. Her best friend Hilda is also remarkable as the two women take on ambulance driving and nursing when they know nothing of such work. Throughout is a lively banter between them that is so cleaverly intwined. The male characters are Tom, who does not go to war and is a teaching administrator and Allistar who joins up right away. Both these men show clearly how war is on a day to day basis, the losses the battles and the triumps. They are all brave and any shortcomings forgiven in my opinion.

[cdyankeefan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

England during the Second World War is the setting for this novel. Love found and lost, changing social norms, self discovery, growth and second chances are the themes explored in this novel. The author does a good job in capturing the devastation and horror of war. Some of the dialogue between two of the characters is frankly offensive but it’s important to note that some of the words and expressions used then were not as charged as they are now.

[jimmoz-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is really quite good. It is a beautiful romance, and covers much regarding the bombing of London. Also, there is a description of the German siege of Malta, and the difficulty of the British forces there. The book was inspired by the wartime experiences of the author's grandparents, especially the grandmothers.

[girlwellread · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A special thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

Once again, Cleave's writing is gorgeous and moving. His historical fiction work transports you to another time and tells a story that has been told before but makes it new; set in London and Malta, Cleave tackles WWII. I can already see this one becoming a movie.

I have read all of his other books and savoured each one because of his beautiful writing. There is a tenderness to the way he develops his characters with his moving prose, they are deep and complex, much like the setting. We have Mary, who is barely nineteen, and comes from a wealthy family. She uses the war to rebel against her parents, romanticized by possibility and not seeing war for what it is. She is assigned to a school to teach children and meets Tom Shaw, who is the head administrator. The two embark on a romantic relationship that becomes complicated when she is introduced to Tom's flatmate, Alistair Heath, an art conservator that gets deployed to active duty in Malta. Rounding out the cast is Hilda, Mary's inferior friend and ambulance partner.

The only negative was the pace which moved between slow and steady. This was probably deliberate on Cleave's part to let the story unfold, to immerse the reader in WWII, and develop the characters. Stay with it, you will be glad you did and savour the story to the last word.

[etxgardener · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The British homefront during World War II, has always fascinated me, and this book, based on the author's grandparents' own wartime love story, is an excellent entry into the books written about that time period. Mary North is a young, upper middle class girl who runs away from her finishing school as soon as war is declared in the hopes of landing a glamorous wartime assignment - preferably as a spy. Her friend, Hilda is also looking for something glamorous to do - preferably in order to meet an interesting man.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.

[fliss88_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I found the writing of Chris Cleave very moving and unforgettable! He writes with a rare skill that allowed me to easily empathise with his characters, laugh with them, marvel at their courage and yet fear for their lives all at the same time. I found the story compulsive reading and there's one passage in the second half of the book that I found so perfectly written, so emotionally charged, I doubt a well directed movie could have added any more suspense to the moment, I had to put the book down and walk away! The historical setting is London during the Blitz and the island of Malta during a two year siege that saw it nearly bombed out of existence. As beautiful as Cleave's writing is, at times he pulled me up, unable to continue reading, with his descriptions of the violence that happened during the war, but here too, his skill as a writer caught me unawares. It was like riding my pushbike around a corner only to discover a huge pothole that I hadn't a hope of missing, leaving me dumped, shaken and a little bruised. As I've said, a rare skill from this author who took my emotions firmly in his hands and ran with them.

[johnwbeha · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

As another reviewer has said "Chris Cleave is a very skilled writer -- his prose is truly beautiful", but sometimes I think he overwrites. But despite my struggles with the early part of the book, I was finally convinced and was drawn into the very very sad story. I felt empathy for the two lead male characters, but not the women, except for Mary North's determination to relate to a young black boy, a real rarity in war-time London.

[maggieflo_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This book came highly recommended so I was disappointed in the story.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 only daughter of wealthy Londoners is an extremely independent 18 year old and signs up to become a teacher at the start of the war. Her supervisor is Tom and they eventually become lovers. Once Mary meets Alistair who is on leave from the battle in France, it is love at first sight. Tom is killed in a bombing and Mary begins to correspond with Alistair in Malta. Tragedy, starvation, drug addiction, self doubt dog the two as they wait for each other during the war. When the reunion finally happens, it is a let down as their expectations for their love to have withstood the separation is tested. The reader is not sure if this is the beginning of their romance or the end as both are unsure of their feelings after so much waiting.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.

[dubaireader · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Evocative of WWII.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 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 starsIncendiary - 5 starsGold - 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 starsIncendiary - 5 starsGold - 4 stars

[mmoj_2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received this book from Reading with Robin and Simon & Schuster.

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 can't mean that she'll be doing something as mundane as teaching. But that is her job. And it's related to her teaching job that she meets two men, Tom and Alistair who are best friends.

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.

[susan.h.schofield · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley. I wasn't sure what to expect since I have mixed feelings about Chris Cleave - I did not like Little Bee but I liked Gold a lot. Everyone Brave is Forgiven fell somewhere in the middle. As far as WWII fiction goes, it just wasn't up to the standards set by The Nightingale or All the Light We Cannot See. While beautifully written, it was difficult to connect with the characters. I didn't think the love story was very plausible and I more enjoyed Mary's story when she was teaching and concerned about the children left behind in London. The book would have been better if it had just focused on that aspect. Unlike other WWII stories I have read, I didn't feel as immersed in the war or feel the pain of the characters. But overall it was a well written and decent book.

[loried_5 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I was delighted to have the opportunity to read an advance copy of Everyone Brave is Forgiven thanks to Netgalley and the publisher. I have been a fan of Chris Cleave since I read Little Bee, and I am impressed with the diversity of subjects about which he has written. Everyone Brave is one of my favorites. The author did a great job making the time period come alive and tackled some subjects not usual covered by wartime novels. I found the characters and their relationships interesting and complex. I hated the racism in the book, but it was probably realistic for the time period. I would highly recommend the book and think it would be a great choice for a book discussion group.

[iadam-2 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I received a free advance e-copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. This is an exceptionally well-written novel. It is obvious that the author has spent a great deal of time in research. This is the coming of age story of a young upper class woman living in London during WW II. The prejudice against African Americans is heartbreaking and tragic. The author lets the reader experience the tragedies and horrors of war through the eyes of the British soldier and also of those back home in London. We live through the nightly raids, their relationships, loves, losses, grief, and addiction. The banter and witty exchanges between characters lifted my spirits and made me laugh at times. By the end each character has been changed by the war and must find forgiveness and go on with life. I recommend this book to anyone who enjoys WW II fiction. This is a keeper.

[nicx27 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Having been a big fan of Chris Cleave's previous work, particularly the wonderfully moving Incendiary, I couldn't wait to get my hands on this book, his new one set during WWII. It tells the story of a young women named Mary North who is desperate to do her bit during the war. She finds herself dropped into the world of teaching which wasn't quite what she was expecting but she does meet Tom Shaw, who decides that fighting isn't for him and also Tom's friend, Alistair who decides the opposite and joins up straightaway. 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.

[alphawoman_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This book is slightly different from the slew of WWII books I have been reading nonstop recently. it's difficult to place a finger on the reason. Prehaps the tone. the characters are unforgettable especially the cast who are in the shadows. Hilda, Zackary and Simonson. And the most endearing of all, Duggan.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.

[pegmcdaniel · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Thanks to the publisher, Simon & Schuster, via NetGalley, for the digital ARC. I appreciate it and am happy to review it.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 novel on his grandfather's memories from serving in Malta during the war. It's obvious from the detailing that considerable research was done as well.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!

[shetreadssoftly · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Everyone Brave Is Forgiven by Chris Cleave is a very highly recommended novel set during WWII.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 evacuated to the country, she is at loose ends until she meets Tom Shaw, who runs the school district. Mary and Tom begin dating, and he has her set up a classroom for the few children who are brought back to the city. A child she is especially devoted to is Zachary, a 10 year-old black American. Mary fights prejudice, a continuing theme throughout the novel, and tries to bravely help out the war effort.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.

[vancouverdeb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

When World War 11 is announced, Mary North is keen to join the war effort and quits finishing school to do so. Disappointingly to Mary, she is made a school teacher , which seems altogether too tame. However, she soon finds her place. Children who are physically handicapped, difficult to teach or from non- Caucasian backgrounds, are sent back from the evacuation to the country to London to be taught, during the London Blitz. Mary becomes their keen advocate and teacher.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 226As 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 215In 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 245A 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.

[jjaylynny · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Whew. Read this book. That is all.

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 London, about the Blitz, about Malta, where I always thought of sun and learned about starvation.

[janjanfreeman · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Mary Thomas is a woman of privilege and defiant of societal norms at a time when World War II had just begun. She is coming into adulthood with a determination to change the world for the better. She went to the war office in an effort to serve her country and instead was sent to teach a school for the children not deemed fit for evacuation: the poor, the disabled, and those racially different (The N-word was used quite frequently which some, such as myself, may find offensive). Although this is not the situation that she desired when she signed up for war, still she was determined to do her best and it changed her life. It introduced her to Thomas, her boss and eventual lover, as well as to Zachary, her star pupil and my personal favorite character. 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.

[2wondery_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Wow! Powerful story and masterfully told. The characters are smart and engaging. And then even more important, Cleave is able to delineate their inner lives, their doubts and confusions. His description of Alistair's military experiences, using them at the same time to expose their flashback qualities when he is in other circumstances is brilliant.

[cariola_6 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I really liked Chris Cleaves's Little Bee and Incendiary, and I quite liked this new novel as well. Cleave seems to have a knack for digging into horrifying situations and the psychology of people who have no choice but to live through them. In Everyone Brave Is Forgiven, he tackles the second world was, particularly London in the Blitz years. Mary North, a young woman from an upper crust family (her father is an MP) volunteers with the war office as soon as England enters the fray. Her first assignment is as a teacher, and she is particularly drawn to young Zachary, son of an African-American entertainer who emcees the local minstrel show. Almost as soon as she begins, the children are evacuated to the countryside, and Mary applies for a position to teach the few misfit children who remain in the city (some of whom, like Zachary, have been sent back from the country). Here she meets and falls in love with her supervisor, Tom, a decent sort who hasn't yet felt the compulsion to enlist, as his flatmate, Alistair, had done on the first day that England went to war. Everyone seems to believe (or wants to believe) that the war isn't real and that the city will never be bombed. When Alistair returns on leave, Mary and Tom set him up with her friend Hilda, a young woman rather vain of her looks and focused on the exact arrangement of her pompadour. But the bombs do fall, and their world begins to fall apart. The novel traces the effects of the war not only on these four young people (and Zachary) but on society itself. Be prepared for a lot of tragedy, despair, and uncertainty as people drift apart and come together. Yet the novel is not without elements of hope as the characters learn that change, while perhaps inevitable, is not always the same as loss.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.

[shazjhb · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Excellent book. He does not sugar coat war and writes very well on symptoms of post traumatic stress. Interesting issues about blacks.

[kalky_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I have to confess that I adore Chris Cleave. If he writes a book, I read it. It's that simple.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 can't continue to produce books at the level I've come to expect?!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.

[hjvanderklis_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Chris Cleave, a multi-award-winning British author, takes his readers back to World War II, September, 1939 until June, 1942 actually. Just when the war was declared, Mary North, dropped out of school and signed up for the War Office for a teacher assignment. Taking care of negro children in London is not what is expected from her. She's left alone with the weak and orphaned ones, whereas other children were evacuated to safer places in the countryside. Mary met Alistair, a former Tate conservator, but even before she really could fall in love and kick off courting, he was conscripted and sent to Malta to protect the island from both German and Italian attackers.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.

[sleahey_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This novel centers around London prior to World War II , and leading up to 1942. The relationships between Mary, her best friend Hilda, Tom, and his best friend Alistair become increasingly complicated as their lives are drastically affected by the war in different ways. The tragedy is often more than is predictable, and certainly heart-wrenching. The dialog is almost always extremely clever, in contrast to the dark situations and wartime inhumanity, and seems to try too hard--but then so do the characters. Did people ever really talk that way?

[nanettels · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I'm really torn about this book. In the end, I think it's wonderfully written but I really didn't like most of the characters. I neatly quit several times because I found them so unappealing. I'm glad I finished it though