January book club - Everyone Brave is Forgiven

Absolutely marvellous; this is one of those books which encourages the reader to look at things from so many different perspectives. It is dazzling, mesmerising and compulsive reading. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

The last 2 books I’ve read have been very disappointing and I was loath to start this one. No need to worry though as right from the start it is interesting. Only half way through but have a hospital appointment tomorrow which is always a long wait so will pass the time getting further into this book. Chris Cleave is new to me but will definitely read his other books.

What a powerful story!
It took some while to deal with the style of the author, but I was still compelled to carry on reading somehow. And I'm so glad I did, because it's a magnificent portrayal of the events of the the early part of WW2.
The story ends just three months before I was even born; my parents didn't suffer the agony of being separated in the war (my dad made new Spitfires from parts of shot down aircraft at Rolls Royce) so very little was ever said about the war. Indeed my parents had three children during the war and life just carried on.
Chris's research of the events in London and Malta is very evident and he really brings alive the gruesome things which happened, and doesn't hold anything back in his portrayal of life at that time.
Whilst I found the style of writing difficult and couldn't understand the meaning of many 'big' words, my overall feeling for this book is one of overwhelming fondness- for the characters and their lives, portrayed with feeling, whilst still leaving the reader with much to ponder, for the scenes portrayed and for the time in which it takes place. The storyline of the children I found particularly moving and I'm certainly going to research more about them, about the hatred of the English for the black people. I have never considered this subject and certainly will study it more.
Thank you Chris for this story. I will search out more of your writing.

I have received my copy thank you. Only read a couple of pages at the moment but looking forward to getting into the story properly.

The Book has been chosen as " this month's choice" by JOHN KOSKI in the "YOU"
magazine supplement in "The Mail on Sunday Newspaper ".

I agree with reviewer- ELIZABETH BUCHAN who says = BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN,
FUNNY,GUT- WRENCHING AND ABOVE ALL , HONEST.

What else can i had !!

correction-- add.

I enjoyed the book very much - so well researched and constructed. A compelling and powerful novel. I would love to see it made into a film. Thank you gransnet for introducing us to a very clever writer - Chris Cleave.

A fascinating book and will recommend it to my book club.
The humour was correct as anyone working in the services will agree with - the fire service, police and doctors all have this 'black' humour to enable them to cope with what is going on every day.
The letters brought back memories of how it used to be and I still have the bundle of letters from my husband while we were courting and he still has mine. I must reread them one day (or perhaps I shouldn't).
I enjoyed this book although a little too long for me and the book print a little too small but now I want to read the author's previous books to see how they compare in style.
Well done gransnet for selecting a really good read.

I have read another book by Chris Cleave (The Other Hand) which I enjoyed but found rather long. This one is the same, I really appreciate the back story of his family and their letters, especially as my own father was in Malta for a time during the war. All the main characters are well painted and likeable. And it is a really good story. It would make a great film. But it is very "wordy". This is only my opinion and I know many, many people will enjoy that aspect of what is a good read.

I found this book compelling reading. It was beautifully written and managed to shock me and yet make me laugh out loud. I do agree with others that it would make an excellent film. I could visualise parts very clearly; the troop carrying lorry approaching the unexploded bomb for example.
My parents met and married in WW11 and in a strange way, I felt closer to them and their life at this time.
A final point, the casual rascism was horrific, but I'm sure was prevalent at the time. The use of the "N word" shocked me, but then I remembered this being a colour description for brown shoe polish in the 1950s and wasn't it the name of a black dog in the film The Dam Busters? Happily now bowdlerised when the film is shown on TV.
All in all a great read and I shall look for the other books by this author.

Enjoyable and evocative of the period. A down to earth account of a period in war when people had to stand up and be counted. Humour and tragedy in equal measures. It examines the war's effects on complex family and personal relationships.

Chris Cleave is a very skilful writer. I found this book totally absorbing. It's funny, emotional and full of powerful metaphors. It shows the shocking reality of war and it's effects on its characters, both physically and psychologically. I can't wait to read his other novels!

I have really enjoyed this novel. I must admit I don't really like the title! I'm not sure I would have picked it out in a bookshop. However the characters come to life and the story says a lot about life at that time including the racism and bullying. I too loved the line,' She left finishing school unfinished'! Thank you Gransnet for sending me the book and thanks to Chris for writing it. Are your other books historical novels as well or are some set in the present day?

Never read a book by Chris Cleve but will definitely look out for more. I love stories set in wartime England and this one didn't disappoint. Loved all the characters, the book really pulled me into it and I was always wondering what was going to happen next, always the sign of a good book. There is hope, dread and humour from the characters within. An excellent read. Thank you for my copy.

Not a happy read, so much tragedy but I suppose that was the way it was. I was surprised to learn about the extent of the racism, also the seige of Malta was a real eye opener even though I vaguely knew about it. Can't say it was an enjoyable read but very well written and kept me wanting to know more.

I had never read a book by Chris Cleave before and I wasn't disappointed. It drew me in and I was hooked by the characters and how their lives unfolded during the war. It was a compelling, powerful read which I thoroughly enjoyed. I highly recommend this book which is the best I've read in a long time. I shall make sure I read some more by this author.

The author's style is reminiscent of Sebastian Faulkes and Ian McEwan, both favourite authors of mine. I was aware of racism prevalent in the UK during war time and the horrific siege in Malta but the book really brought them alive for me. I loved the acerbic wit and dry humour displayed by all the characters, quintessentially British even in the darkest of times.

Thank you for my copy of this book. I really enjoyed it and look forward to reading more of his work.

Regrettably, I have found this hard going. I have, therefore, put it to one side to revisit at a later date, sorry Chris. Doesn't help, I think, that I am not in the best frame of mind (daughters!).

However, thank you for the book Gransnet.

I enjoyed this book although I found it took a while to feel comfortable with Chris Cleave's style of writing.

The abandonment of disabled and non-white children during the evacuation was an eye opener as we've been more used to heartwarming tales like 'Carrie's War' and 'Goodnight Mr. Tom.'

When I was a child I spent two years living in Malta during the early fifties so was made well aware of the siege which was recent history. My father was in the RAF serving in Gibraltar during that time so was fortunate to be spared that particular horror.

An enjoyable if not exactly cheering read. Thank you.

Thank you, Chris Cleave, for an amazing read!
I found it slow to begin with, but was soon fully engaged with the characters. I particularly admired Mary, who had a strength of character in spite of her upbringing and the social environment she grew up in.
Having been a teacher myself, I appreciated her empathy for her pupils.
I enjoyed the attention to detail, such as reference to use of Marion Richardson handwriting script at that time.
It was a learning curve, to read about the attitudes towards the vulnerable and the black peoples.
Clever use of wit and humour enabled the reader to stay with the author and cope with the devastating effects of war on individuals.
The siege of Malta and the London Blitz were dealt with great skill.
That second part of the book really is amazing - evocative, emotional and devastating on so many levels.
Thank you, Mr Cleave.
I understand that you've been inspired by your grandparents and aspects of the book are based on their experiences - but you did you have to carry out additional research, and how did you go about it?
I look forward to this dialogue...

How nice to have read a book with such amazing vocabulary and interesting characters. Some of my recent reads have been so inane, lacking colour in character and fabric ( I think I blame the kindle) and with unimaginative storylines.
This was totally the opposite, keeping me interested from the first chapter. I will certainly read more from Chris Cleave, nice to have found a new author with a convincing yet changing storyline.
Not what I would call a 'beach read', more of a ' curl up in a chair for the afternoon with an open fire and a pot of coffee' type book. I didn't want to stop reading once I started, and the rich vocabulary kept my imagination on track, feeling as if you were actually the re with the characters.
Would definitely recommend.