In Memoriam by Alice Winn

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One of my favourite YouTube channels is Luke's Blog. He has a good success rate for me; I have loved everything he has recommended, so when he recommended this, I knew I had to read it.

Two-Sentence Summary

A page-turning historical fiction which will teach you about war, love and acceptance. A stunning debut novel by Alice Winn.

Synopsis

In Memoriam tells the story of two young men, Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, whose burgeoning, unspoken love during their time at boarding school propels them to enlist in World War I despite their youth. This leads them to face the brutal realities of the trenches while grappling with the complexities of their hidden feelings for one another, all set against the backdrop of the devastating conflict.

Impressions

This book is a love story at heart, set against the horrific background of World War I. Its historical facts are exceptional; it does not hide from showing the war as a horrific loss of life. I listened to this on audiobook, and the part where they read out the names of the dead was harrowing, to say the least.

The book also examines themes of class, where public school boys are automatically given positions of authority away from the general everyday fighting. We are introduced to one officer who comes from a working-class background and see how, although best qualified, he is passed over for the role of Captain because he does not speak properly.

Overall, though, the one factor I took away from this book was the willingness of the two men to fight for a country that would never accept them or that they could not live in on their return, homosexuality being illegal. I am sure this story has been echoed by many during this war.

Memoriam is a modern classic you will not be disappointed in reading or listening to. It is a book that will live with me for many years.

It was the Hell you’d feared in childhood, come to devour the children. It was treading over the corpses of your friends so that you might be killed yourself. It was the congealed evil of a century.