Lovely War
Julie Berry, 2019
Penguin Young Readers
480 pp.
ISBN-13: 9780147512970#
Summary
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 U.S. Army…
A Belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past.
Their story is told by the goddess Aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on Mount Olympus
It is a tale 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. (From the publisher.)
Author Bio
Julie Berry is the author of the 2017 Printz Honor and Los Angeles Times Book Prize shortlisted novel The Passion of Dolssa, the Carnegie and Edgar shortlisted All the Truth That's in Me, and many other acclaimed middle-grade novels and picture books.
She holds a BS from Rensselaer in communication and an MFA from Vermont College. She lives in Southern California with her family. (From the publisher.)
Book Reviews
[A] virtuoso historical fantasy.… When the hurly-burly's done, and the battle's lost and won, does Love conquer War? The answer is never in doubt, but it's a pleasure to have it confirmed by a celestially inspired storyteller.
New York Times Book Review
Leavened by wit and informed by history, Lovely War is a romantic and inventive story from its dramatic start to its laughter- and tear-spangled ending.
Wall Street Journal
The novel you'll want to steal from your teen's night stand.… Though Lovely War is being marketed to teens, adults looking for a memorable, well-told tale should not be shy about delving in, too.
Washington Post
(Starred review) Berry’s evocative novel… gains steam as the stories flesh out. Along the way, it suggests that while war and its devastation cycles through history, the forces of art and love remain steady, eternal, and life-sustaining.
Publishers Weekly
(Starred review) Readers will be swept away by Berry’s lyrical prose.
Library Journal
Berry’s accomplished talent for developing all elements of plot—character, tone, and mood—in addition to her fresh writing style makes this title a compelling page turner.
Library School Journal
(Starred review) Proves again that Berry is one of our most ambitious writers. Happily for us, that ambition so often results in great success.
Booklist
(Starred review) 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
(Starred review) Julie Berry [is] a modern master of historical fiction for young readers…. Berry’s superb research and attention to detail are perfectly suited to the layers of this story of love in wartime…. [A] romantic yet unflinching look at teenagers coming of age during World War I.
BookPage
Discussion Questions
We'll add publisher questions if and when they're available; in the meantime, use our LitLovers talking points to help start a discussion for LOVELY WAR … then take off on your own:
1. Why might Julie Berry have used the device of Olympia to tell her story of love during a time of a devastating war? Why frame her story using mythology? Does the frame work for you? Why or why not?
2. What is your familiarity with Greek mythology, especially the Arphrodite-Ares-Hephestus triangle? If you're familiar with it, how does Berry (shall we say…) "flesh it out"?
3. Talk about the immortals and their incessant bickering, snark, and competition with one another. Which diety did you find funny … sympathetic … wise? Any? None?
4. Which of the mortal couples most pulled at your heart-strings … and why? Or perhaps a fairer question would be how did both couples pull at your heartstrings? Our of the four characters, do you have a favorite?
5. Talk about the manner in which each of the two couples met. What drew them together? Consider, for instance, Hazel and James's dance in London.
6. What does the novel teach about the treatment of black troups during the war? Were you aware of the blatant prejudice African-Americans faced in the military (in World War II, as well)?
7. The horrors of trench warfare in World War I are well-known—through history lessons, oral recollections, books (fiction and nonfiction), and film portrayals. How vividly does Lovely War present those conditions? Have you gained a new perspective, perhaps a more personal one … or neither?
8. The historical war in tbis novel can also be viewed as symbolic—the ongoing battles most of us fight in our personal lives: we have our own demons to overcome, our own weaknesses, to say nothing of societal injustices, and the cruelty and seeming randomness of fate. How do the four mortal characters—Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette—face the tragedies and challenges in their lives?
9. The book poses the question that love wins out over war, hope over fear. Do you think so? Is this book realistic? Or is it bascially a diverting, feel-good romance. What's your take?
(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, online and off, with attribution. Thanks.)