Everyone Brave Is Forgiven

'Ian McEwan did this with Atonement, Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch, and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven... A compelling and finely crafted novel.' FT

An extraordinary story of love and honour in extreme circumstances, from the multi-award-winning author of THE OTHER HAND.

Instant New York Times bestseller

Evening Standard top ten bestseller

iBooks BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016

Irish Times summer reading pick

'A cracker' Stylist, 10 Exciting Books in 2016

'His best book to date' Esquire, 10 best novels of 2016

Guardian Literary Highlight of 2016

Independent Best Book to read in 2016

Irish News Top Picks for 2016

Washington Post 20 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2016

When war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up.

Tom Shaw decides to give it a miss - until his flatmate Alistair unexpectedly enlists, and the conflict can no longer be avoided.

Young, bright and brave, Mary is certain she'd be a marvelous spy. When she is - bewilderingly - made a teacher, she instead finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget.

Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary.

And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams.

In a powerful combination of both humour and heartbreak, this dazzling novel weaves little-known history, and a perfect love story, through the vast sweep of the Second World War - daring us to understand that, against the great theatre of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs, that change us most.

“Powerful and moving . . . Cleave's real revisionism exists in the very fabric of his prose. - Independent A compelling and finely crafted novel... The Second World War is dangerous territory for a contemporary novelist: the enemies they face include familiarity, cliche, and the reader's knowledge that any number of things happened then that were far stranger than fiction. For a writer to succeed in setting a tale in a period of heightened emotions, they need first to keep their own emotions under close control. Ian McEwan did this with Atonement , Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch , and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven . - Financial TimesLoosely based on the author's grandparents' stories, this is a superb novel that breathes fresh life into an often brutal scenario. Particularly astute at demonstrating how war seeps into the psyche and changes it, this is beautifully written, funny, gut-wrenching and, above all, honest . - Daily Mail An addictive, propulsive read . . . Cleave writes with an engaging intensity, a determination to tackle big moral issues, and a willingness to take risks. - The Sunday Times”

Powerful and moving . . . Cleave's real revisionism exists in the very fabric of his prose. - Independent

A compelling and finely crafted novel...The Second World War is dangerous territory for a contemporary novelist: the enemies they face include familiarity, cliche, and the reader's knowledge that any number of things happened then that were far stranger than fiction. For a writer to succeed in setting a tale in a period of heightened emotions, they need first to keep their own emotions under close control. Ian McEwan did this with Atonement, Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch, and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven. - Financial Times

Loosely based on the author's grandparents' stories, this is a superb novel that breathes fresh life into an often brutal scenario. Particularly astute at demonstrating how war seeps into the psyche and changes it, this is beautifully written, funny, gut-wrenching and, above all, honest. - Daily Mail

An addictive, propulsive read . . . Cleave writes with an engaging intensity, a determination to tackle big moral issues, and a willingness to take risks. - The Sunday Times

Chris Cleave's debut novel INCENDIARY was a prize-winner and international bestseller and his second novel, THE OTHER HAND has found phenomenal success both in the UK and abroad, hitting number one on the New York Times bestseller list. He is married with three children, and lives in Surrey. He keeps a website at and can be found on twitter.com/chriscleave.

When war is declared, Mary defies her family to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom refuses to sign up for a conflict he doesn't believe in. Alistair answers the call of duty, but can't silence his own heart. How do you dare to fall in love while the world around you is falling apart? 'Superb' Daily Mail 'An addictive, propulsive read' The Sunday Times 'A compelling and finely crafted novel... Ian McEwan did this with Atonement , Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch , and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven ' Financial Times

'Ian McEwan did this with Atonement , Sarah Waters did it with The Night Watch , and Chris Cleave does it too with Everyone Brave is Forgiven .. . A compelling and finely crafted novel.' FTAn extraordinary story of love and honour in extreme circumstances, from the multi-award-winning author of THE OTHER HAND.Instant New York Times bestsellerEvening Standard top ten bestselleriBooks BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2016Irish Times summer reading pick'A cracker' Stylist , 10 Exciting Books in 2016'His best book to date' Esquire , 10 best novels of 2016 Guardian Literary Highlight of 2016 Independent Best Book to read in 2016 Irish News Top Picks for 2016 Washington Post 20 Books We Can't Wait to Read in 2016When war is declared, Mary North leaves finishing school unfinished, goes straight to the War Office, and signs up. Tom Shaw decides to give it a miss - until his flatmate Alistair unexpectedly enlists, and the conflict can no longer be avoided.Young, bright and brave, Mary is certain she'd be a marvelous spy. When she is - bewilderingly - made a teacher, she instead finds herself defying prejudice to protect the children her country would rather forget. Tom, meanwhile, finds that he will do anything for Mary. And when Mary and Alistair meet, it is love, as well as war, that will test them in ways they could not have imagined, entangling three lives in violence and passion, friendship and deception, inexorably shaping their hopes and dreams.In a powerful combination of both humour and heartbreak, this dazzling novel weaves little-known history, and a perfect love story, through the vast sweep of the Second World War - daring us to understand that, against the great theatre of world events, it is the intimate losses, the small battles, the daily human triumphs, that change us most.

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