CALL ME ATHENA

A multigenerational coming-of-age story centered around an immigrant community during the Great Depression.

The novel begins in 1933 with Mary, 16, living in a small apartment in Detroit, Michigan, with her Greek father and French mother; twin sister, Marguerite; and three younger brothers. Her father, a shop owner struggling now that no one is buying Ford motorcars, wants to arrange her marriage to a fellow immigrant, but Mary longs for modernity, a job, and some fun with dashing, blond Billy. She finds a mysterious pile of unaddressed letters dated 1918, which leads to two other stories—that of Gio, a young Greek fisherman who, through complicated circumstances, ends up enlisted in the U.S. Army, and Jeanne, a wealthy French girl who volunteers with wounded soldiers at a hospital in Brittany. Eventually the strands come together to reveal the identities of Jeanne and Gio. At times, the plot seems too convoluted—Marguerite, Mary’s twin, never feels necessary at all—and the cryptic nature of the letters makes them feel inauthentic. However, the author’s sense of history brings details of the different times and cultures to life as she tells a story inspired by her family’s history. Her free verse serves the tale well, with lines such as “Death walks the halls / naked, / without pride, asking for his mother,” to convey the youth and despair of injured young men.

A strong debut written with heart and strength.