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cobwebshelves's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"This war feels like a virus. No medicine can kill it, only patience, while we wait for the sickness to run its course."
I picked up "Call Me Athena" by chance, intrigued by the cover and the description, and I was absolutely not disappointed. This is a wonderful historical fiction with a dash of coming of age, exploring the struggles of trying to live up to one's origins while adapting to a migrant culture. The audiobook was narrated by Hope Newhouse, Gail Shalan and Ramiz Monsef, whose performances were emotional and enthralling.
The story unravels through three perspectives — Maria, a Greek-French daughter of immigrants living in Detroit, Michigan, during the Great Depression who tries to balance between playing the role of a good Greek girl and wanting to be a rebellious young American woman. By chance, she stumbles upon a bundle of letters that reveal to her stories her parents have kept from her and her siblings since the Great War; Gio, Maria's father, a young man whose tragic circumstances leading to him travelling halfway across the world and back, thrust into a war he doesn't himself understand; and Jeanne, a French girl, admirer of her legendary saintly namesake, Jeanne d'Arc whose paths cross with Gio's at a most unexpected time.
Cedar Smith weaves a beautiful story out of the three perspectives, exploring what it means to abandon your home for the sake of your family, meshing the horrors and pain of war with the youthful hope of the next generation. She does not shy away from describing what it felt like to live through the Great War as a soldier and a nurse, as well as the struggles of poverty during the Great Depression, and delivers some intense gut punches at times. The settings are vibrant, buoyant, full of life; the characters experience highs and lows, "Call me Athena" is charming, at times heartbreaking, and absolutely full of heart, leaving you hopeful for the ending, despite the knowledge of what course history took.
I picked up "Call Me Athena" by chance, intrigued by the cover and the description, and I was absolutely not disappointed. This is a wonderful historical fiction with a dash of coming of age, exploring the struggles of trying to live up to one's origins while adapting to a migrant culture. The audiobook was narrated by Hope Newhouse, Gail Shalan and Ramiz Monsef, whose performances were emotional and enthralling.
The story unravels through three perspectives — Maria, a Greek-French daughter of immigrants living in Detroit, Michigan, during the Great Depression who tries to balance between playing the role of a good Greek girl and wanting to be a rebellious young American woman. By chance, she stumbles upon a bundle of letters that reveal to her stories her parents have kept from her and her siblings since the Great War; Gio, Maria's father, a young man whose tragic circumstances leading to him travelling halfway across the world and back, thrust into a war he doesn't himself understand; and Jeanne, a French girl, admirer of her legendary saintly namesake, Jeanne d'Arc whose paths cross with Gio's at a most unexpected time.
Cedar Smith weaves a beautiful story out of the three perspectives, exploring what it means to abandon your home for the sake of your family, meshing the horrors and pain of war with the youthful hope of the next generation. She does not shy away from describing what it felt like to live through the Great War as a soldier and a nurse, as well as the struggles of poverty during the Great Depression, and delivers some intense gut punches at times. The settings are vibrant, buoyant, full of life; the characters experience highs and lows, "Call me Athena" is charming, at times heartbreaking, and absolutely full of heart, leaving you hopeful for the ending, despite the knowledge of what course history took.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Vomit, and War
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, and Xenophobia
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