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My Last Lament
A poignant and evocative novel of one Greek woman’s story of her own—and her nation’s—epic struggle in the aftermath of World War II.
Aliki is one of the last of her kind, a lamenter who mourns and celebrates the passing of life. She is part of an evolving Greece, one moving steadily away from its rural traditions. To capture the fading folk art of lamenting, an American researcher asks Aliki to record her laments, but in response, Aliki sings her own story...
It begins in a village in northeast Greece, where Aliki witnesses the occupying Nazi soldiers execute her father for stealing squash. Taken in by her friend Takis’s mother, Aliki is joined by a Jewish refugee and her son, Stelios. When the village is torched and its people massacred, Aliki, Takis and Stelios are able to escape just as the war is ending.
Fleeing across the chaotic landscape of a postwar Greece, the three become a makeshift family. They’re bound by friendship and grief, but torn apart by betrayal, madness and heartbreak.
Through Aliki’s powerful voice, an unforgettable one that blends light and dark with wry humor, My Last Lament delivers a fitting eulogy to a way of life and provides a vivid portrait of a timeless Greek woman, whose story of love and loss is an eternal one.
Aliki is one of the last of her kind, a lamenter who mourns and celebrates the passing of life. She is part of an evolving Greece, one moving steadily away from its rural traditions. To capture the fading folk art of lamenting, an American researcher asks Aliki to record her laments, but in response, Aliki sings her own story...
It begins in a village in northeast Greece, where Aliki witnesses the occupying Nazi soldiers execute her father for stealing squash. Taken in by her friend Takis’s mother, Aliki is joined by a Jewish refugee and her son, Stelios. When the village is torched and its people massacred, Aliki, Takis and Stelios are able to escape just as the war is ending.
Fleeing across the chaotic landscape of a postwar Greece, the three become a makeshift family. They’re bound by friendship and grief, but torn apart by betrayal, madness and heartbreak.
Through Aliki’s powerful voice, an unforgettable one that blends light and dark with wry humor, My Last Lament delivers a fitting eulogy to a way of life and provides a vivid portrait of a timeless Greek woman, whose story of love and loss is an eternal one.
352 pages, Hardcover
First published March 1, 2017
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1781 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 165 reviews
May 29, 2018
Aliki is the last lamenter in her small village in Greece and one day a university student leaves Aliki with some tapes to record her laments so they can be studied further. The book follows Aliki as she record the story of her life and explains where her laments come from. Aliki was young when her father is shot by the Germans occupying Greece and goes to live with another women in the village with a son named Takis. The women also takes in two Jewish refugees, a mother and son, during the occupation that stay with them. Eventually the three children are left on their own to try and piece together their lives in a country with constant political upheaval. The writing in the book was excellent, I really really enjoyed it, it pulled me in to the story. The characters were complex and I appreciated the way that Takis was shown especially because it made it really hard to either like or hate him. I just got really annoyed with Aliki, though I understand why she did it, for constantly trying to look after Takis. The book made me feel a lot of conflicting feelings which is great because that's the whole point everything is grey in life and you kind of have to just reconcile your difficult decisions because there really isn't always a perfect answer. One of the better World War II fiction books I've read and all the cultural and political stuff about Greece was super interesting.
December 31, 2016
As a young girl Aliki witnessed her father's murder in Greece during WWII.
She tells the story from her childhood on.
She lamented the dead - her life - the struggles that were going on in her village and the people she was most close to.
Chrysoula, and her son, Takis, took Aliki in, after Aliki's father's death. Others who came were Sophia and her son Stelios-- two Greek Jews.
When Chrysoula's home is no longer safe - they traveled across Greece until they found a safe area.
This book is written- delivered -on sides of cassette tapes...intimate storytelling. As the reader, I felt as if Aliki was speaking directly to me. Nice personal touch.
So much loss - hunger - poverty - unemployment. The first signs of the civil war were
horrific in Greece....( 1942 - 1944) -- The Greek government in exile was unable to influence the situation at home. Various resistance groups of differing political affiliations emerged.
This is the 2nd time I've read post WWII story in Greece this year. A 90 year old woman in my own city wrote a book about being a child in Greece during the war....I couldn't help thinking about both leading women. The women I know from Greece are strong - strong like bull!!
Aliki had scars as anyone would have who lived through war -- but she also really stepped forth.... and we feel her strength - and her love.
Thank You Berkley Publishing, Netgalley, and James William Brown
She tells the story from her childhood on.
She lamented the dead - her life - the struggles that were going on in her village and the people she was most close to.
Chrysoula, and her son, Takis, took Aliki in, after Aliki's father's death. Others who came were Sophia and her son Stelios-- two Greek Jews.
When Chrysoula's home is no longer safe - they traveled across Greece until they found a safe area.
This book is written- delivered -on sides of cassette tapes...intimate storytelling. As the reader, I felt as if Aliki was speaking directly to me. Nice personal touch.
So much loss - hunger - poverty - unemployment. The first signs of the civil war were
horrific in Greece....( 1942 - 1944) -- The Greek government in exile was unable to influence the situation at home. Various resistance groups of differing political affiliations emerged.
This is the 2nd time I've read post WWII story in Greece this year. A 90 year old woman in my own city wrote a book about being a child in Greece during the war....I couldn't help thinking about both leading women. The women I know from Greece are strong - strong like bull!!
Aliki had scars as anyone would have who lived through war -- but she also really stepped forth.... and we feel her strength - and her love.
Thank You Berkley Publishing, Netgalley, and James William Brown
April 4, 2017
!! NOW AVAILABLE !!
When this story begins, it is told by Aliki as she records her thoughts, reminisces, no longer the young girl she once was. Beginning toward the end of WWII, this continues on through the years of the civil war that follows in Greece, and beyond to Aliki’s reminiscences.
Aliki is the last of her kind, a professional lamenter in her village in the northeast part of Greece. When someone in her village dies, she is asked – these days by the old families only – by the relatives of the deceased to lament. A way of saying – this person was here, was loved, lived their life and is now gone. Remember them.
A composer of dirge-poems, called mirlogia, chanted at wakes and such. Well, actually, I don’t really compose them. I seem to fall into a kind of state and they really compose themselves and just pour through me like a long sigh.
She’s been left a recorder and several tapes for her to record her thoughts on her history as a lamenter, by an ethnographer who is interested in studying this before history and time leave us with no one to share their stories of how they came to be this person who spent her life honoring the dead with lamentations.
Aliki’s mother left when she was a child, not dead but no longer a part of her life. And so when her father is executed, Aliki, as a child, had gone to live with friends of her parents, Chrysoula and her son Takis. Later on, others join the household in secret, Sophia and Stelios, her son, hiding in the basement, hidden from the eyes of the soldiers always around. Eventually they will be forced to leave this village but wherever Aliki goes, her father haunts her, giving advice, checking in, keeping his eye on her.
The dead never seem to finish with us, or is it we who never finish with them?
This is where Aliki’s story begins, but it isn’t so much what happens in this story as the telling of it that pulls you in. It feels as though you’re listening to the tapes she’s recorded for you, she’s telling you her tale. Sharing with you her story of how, as she grew from a young girl to a woman to an older woman, her life was filled with so many things, emotions - fear, loss, first love, more loss, the ugliness of jealously taken to extremes, poverty, horrid living conditions, hunger, resignation, the loss of too many in her life. And, hard to believe, perhaps, but true – there is even some humour to lighten the darker moments, courtesy of Aliki’s father’s presence.
Heartbreaking, yes, but lovely.
Pub Date: 4 April 2017
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Berkley Publishing
When this story begins, it is told by Aliki as she records her thoughts, reminisces, no longer the young girl she once was. Beginning toward the end of WWII, this continues on through the years of the civil war that follows in Greece, and beyond to Aliki’s reminiscences.
Aliki is the last of her kind, a professional lamenter in her village in the northeast part of Greece. When someone in her village dies, she is asked – these days by the old families only – by the relatives of the deceased to lament. A way of saying – this person was here, was loved, lived their life and is now gone. Remember them.
A composer of dirge-poems, called mirlogia, chanted at wakes and such. Well, actually, I don’t really compose them. I seem to fall into a kind of state and they really compose themselves and just pour through me like a long sigh.
She’s been left a recorder and several tapes for her to record her thoughts on her history as a lamenter, by an ethnographer who is interested in studying this before history and time leave us with no one to share their stories of how they came to be this person who spent her life honoring the dead with lamentations.
Aliki’s mother left when she was a child, not dead but no longer a part of her life. And so when her father is executed, Aliki, as a child, had gone to live with friends of her parents, Chrysoula and her son Takis. Later on, others join the household in secret, Sophia and Stelios, her son, hiding in the basement, hidden from the eyes of the soldiers always around. Eventually they will be forced to leave this village but wherever Aliki goes, her father haunts her, giving advice, checking in, keeping his eye on her.
The dead never seem to finish with us, or is it we who never finish with them?
This is where Aliki’s story begins, but it isn’t so much what happens in this story as the telling of it that pulls you in. It feels as though you’re listening to the tapes she’s recorded for you, she’s telling you her tale. Sharing with you her story of how, as she grew from a young girl to a woman to an older woman, her life was filled with so many things, emotions - fear, loss, first love, more loss, the ugliness of jealously taken to extremes, poverty, horrid living conditions, hunger, resignation, the loss of too many in her life. And, hard to believe, perhaps, but true – there is even some humour to lighten the darker moments, courtesy of Aliki’s father’s presence.
Heartbreaking, yes, but lovely.
Pub Date: 4 April 2017
Many thanks for the ARC provided by Berkley Publishing
May 2, 2017
I thought that reading about the custom of lamenting would be fascinating and this is what drew me to this book. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't in itself what this book seemed to be about. But I became captivated because this book is about a facet of WWII that was new to me - the impact of it on Greece both during the Nazi occupation and then after the war. In all of the books I have read about WWII, I don't remember coming across the perspective from Greece and I found this certainly was a learning experience, but also a very moving story of a woman whose past life was caught in this history.
Aliki is the "last professional lamenter " in her village , "a composer of dirge-poems called microligia, chanted at wakes and such." "...I don't really compose them . I seem to fall into a kind of state and they really compose themselves and just pour through me like a long sigh. It's an old village custom..." The narrative moved back and forth in time between the Nazi occupation, the aftermath of the war to the present where she is an old woman. She's given a tape recorder by a student researcher interested in her lamenting but spends most of her time telling her story, her past, so as it turns out and as the title suggests Aliki gives us her lament, not the dirge poem but her story - lamenting her losses, and hardships.
The German occupation, executions including Aliki's father's that as a teenage girl she witnesses, a brave woman who hides a Jewish mother and her son, a story that makes us reconsider who family is. These are some of the threads of the story. It's a love story too and it also touches on mental illness not yet named, the hardship of hunger during the war and after with the conflicts that occurred . All of this made for a moving story .
I wasn't expecting the humor I found here with the women of the village trading insults and laughing while in the midst of the occupation and dire shortages of food . I loved the puppet shows which depicted such an art of story telling by Stelios , the Jewish boy in hiding and how he taught Aliki and Takis. Overall a solid 3+ stars . Recommended to those interested in WWII stories and interested in another perspective, that of the Greek people.
I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkeley Publishing Group through NetGalley.
March 31, 2017
I'm not sure if I disliked this one due to the writing or due to this reading funk I'm in.
I went in expecting a sweeping historical fiction account of Greece during WWII (my kryptonite), I was also super excited to read about Grecian history and the idea of a lamentor- a poet stepping into the shoes of the departed and reciting poetry about that person's history. The premise was there, the story started out interesting, and then quickly fell into the boring category for me.
Much too wordy and long in parts reciting moment by moment the journey Aliki goes on during the war and up to present day. She's recording her story on cassette tapes for a young journalist who's researching Aliki and the history of the laments. I didn't connect with any of these characters and found myself un-interested in the few shreds of a plot that came at the end, that I was just concerned about finishing it more than the journey getting there. Ultimately, this one was not for me.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
I went in expecting a sweeping historical fiction account of Greece during WWII (my kryptonite), I was also super excited to read about Grecian history and the idea of a lamentor- a poet stepping into the shoes of the departed and reciting poetry about that person's history. The premise was there, the story started out interesting, and then quickly fell into the boring category for me.
Much too wordy and long in parts reciting moment by moment the journey Aliki goes on during the war and up to present day. She's recording her story on cassette tapes for a young journalist who's researching Aliki and the history of the laments. I didn't connect with any of these characters and found myself un-interested in the few shreds of a plot that came at the end, that I was just concerned about finishing it more than the journey getting there. Ultimately, this one was not for me.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group and Netgalley for an advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.
April 29, 2017
It seems like there's been a plethora of books about WWII lately but what makes this one stand out is that is set in Greece. I had never thought of Greece being so involved in the fighting and in some ways, it wasn't. Many of the villages were occupied by the Germans but Athens seems to have come through relatively unscathed. It seems the local partisans did as much damage as the Germans.
This is the story of Aliki, a young woman in a rural town whose mother has abandoned her, her father is executed by the Germans for scavenging wild squash and her surrogate mother is also killed by the Germans as they leave town. At 13 she is left with her "brother" who is definitely not right in the head and a refugee the family has kept hidden from the Germans.
She is frustrating but then you remember that she's only 14 and then 15. It's an interesting story how she creates a new life after the war. There is a whole bit about shadow puppets they create and use to provide a living for themselves. Eventually she becomes a lamenter who cries for people when they die.
The story is told by Akita recounting her life on cassette tapes for an American researcher studying lamenters. It makes an interesting way to tell her story. I was quite interested in the story of Greece and how they survived.
Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this story.
This is the story of Aliki, a young woman in a rural town whose mother has abandoned her, her father is executed by the Germans for scavenging wild squash and her surrogate mother is also killed by the Germans as they leave town. At 13 she is left with her "brother" who is definitely not right in the head and a refugee the family has kept hidden from the Germans.
She is frustrating but then you remember that she's only 14 and then 15. It's an interesting story how she creates a new life after the war. There is a whole bit about shadow puppets they create and use to provide a living for themselves. Eventually she becomes a lamenter who cries for people when they die.
The story is told by Akita recounting her life on cassette tapes for an American researcher studying lamenters. It makes an interesting way to tell her story. I was quite interested in the story of Greece and how they survived.
Thank you Net Galley for a copy of this story.
November 12, 2016
Review to follow closer to publication date.
April 7, 2017
I was a little too greedy for Greece!!!! so I was kind of let down.....just 2.5 stars~ I'll nudge it up a half because it really started out interesting and I imagined many wonderful things for these characters. I was excited for a holocaust account on Greek soil...a new story for me. I wanted to really walk the streets with these kids and eye the soldiers, or sit in hiding playing puppet show. I wanted to see a different angle, so in that aspect it fell short. I just didn't feel it.
I recommend this if you like historical fiction, meandering stories that can sometimes hit a lull. I personally like super sonic connections to the people I read about and it just wasn't there but if you love this genre give it a try!!
I recommend this if you like historical fiction, meandering stories that can sometimes hit a lull. I personally like super sonic connections to the people I read about and it just wasn't there but if you love this genre give it a try!!
February 15, 2017
This book is written and delivered on sides of cassette tapes by Aliki as an old woman and on the tapes she tells the story from her childhood to present time.
When she was young, Aliki witnessed her father's murder in Greece during WWII. She lamented the dead, the first time not knowing what was happening. After her father's death, Chrysoula, and her son, Takis, took Aliki in. Sophia and her son Stelios-- two Greek Jews were hidden in Chrysoula's "basement" from the Nazi's but a terrible incident happens and Sophia and Chrysoula are killed leaving the 3 youngsters alone to fend for themselves. The majority of this story is about the three of them just trying to survive after the war in Greece. Takis is a little nuts or maybe he is having visions. This is really a sad story and is just sad that things like this probably did happen to people in Greece after WWII. I'm always fascinated by things involving WWII and this is another angle I had no idea existed. Very interesting and I would like to learn more about Greece after the war.
I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
When she was young, Aliki witnessed her father's murder in Greece during WWII. She lamented the dead, the first time not knowing what was happening. After her father's death, Chrysoula, and her son, Takis, took Aliki in. Sophia and her son Stelios-- two Greek Jews were hidden in Chrysoula's "basement" from the Nazi's but a terrible incident happens and Sophia and Chrysoula are killed leaving the 3 youngsters alone to fend for themselves. The majority of this story is about the three of them just trying to survive after the war in Greece. Takis is a little nuts or maybe he is having visions. This is really a sad story and is just sad that things like this probably did happen to people in Greece after WWII. I'm always fascinated by things involving WWII and this is another angle I had no idea existed. Very interesting and I would like to learn more about Greece after the war.
I received a free copy from NetGalley for an honest review.
March 12, 2017
Over the years, I’ve read many books set during World War II and despite already knowing the history, I am still blown away each time I read about the tremendous devastation that the war caused in various countries as well as the unimaginable suffering and loss that the peoples in those countries went through. In the case of Greece, which was pulled reluctantly into the war when Italian and German troops invaded the country and set up combat posts across the land, the end of WWII did not bring about the focus on gradual reforms and large scale rebuilding of the country that it did for other countries that had survived the war. Almost immediately upon WWII ending, Greece was thrown into a civil war that erupted in large part due to the atrocities that were committed during the previous war. The country became deeply divided, with those who had suffered enormous loss at the hands of foreign enemies during the war choosing to avenge their displaced anger by turning on their own people. In some cases, entire villages were wiped out and its people were senselessly massacred for no valid reason other than them being viewed as “implicit” in the war due to the fact that they “housed” or “fed” or “translated for” the enemy (it didn’t matter that these villages had been unwillingly “forced” to take in the German troops and were already in dire straits themselves due to what had already been inflicted on them from previously). This quote from the book is powerful in relaying just how tragic a situation the country was in: Much of the country remained in ruins from the fighting, the railroads destroyed, the bridges blown up, a nearly worthless currency and a demoralized people. We’d done more damage to ourselves than even the Germans had done to us.
It is against this backdrop of devastating war, endless infighting, and sheer chaos that the tragic yet poignant story of a Greek woman’s life unfolds. When the story opens, the main character Aliki is already in old age, still living in the rural Greek village where she grew up. She is a lamenter who mourns for the dead by chanting poems meant to honor the deceased at their wakes and funerals. As this is an ancient tradition that only the “old families” still observed, Aliki is the last of her kind in the village. One day, a scholar from an American university visits Aliki and asks if she can record her laments for a research project she is doing. She leaves Aliki with a recorder and cassette tapes for her to record her laments when they occur, telling her that she will be back in touch with her later. After the scholar is gone, Aliki starts recording, but instead of recording her laments, she ends up telling her life story. From there, we are transported back in time to 1943, at the tail-end of the war, when Aliki (who is in her teens – still a kid pretty much) has to witness first-hand her beloved father being executed by German soldiers for the mere crime of “stealing squash.” After that, Aliki’s life is marked by one tragedy after another and through it all, we witness her struggles with love, loss, and coming-of-age in a country that itself is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of two devastating wars.
I must admit that this was a difficult book to read for me due to all the vivid descriptions of the atrocities of the wars that devastated Greece during the 1940s and 1950s. However, I am glad I read this book because, despite this being a work of fiction, I learned so much about a part of WWII history that I had no clue even existed. More importantly though, I was given a glimpse into a world and culture that, up to this point, I had largely been ignorant about. When it came to Greece, the extent of my knowledge basically ended at its ancient history, since that was mainly what was taught in school and its contemporary history was rarely ever mentioned. Aliki’s story is poignant and heartbreaking -- it is a story of love and loss but also of resilience, resolve, strength, and survival, all interwoven in a well-written novel that ended up being a surprisingly enjoyable read for me. One thing I will say is that I got a little bit confused at first about the title, since most of the story didn’t seem to have much to do with lamenting per se. But then I got to the end of the book, which was also the end of Aliki’s story, and that’s where the significance of the title as well as the theme of lamenting fell clearly into place for me. I actually feel the ending was brilliantly done, as I was a bit startled as well when Aliki was told a secret that had been kept from her for decades and very likely would’ve altered the course of her life as well as the lives of her loved ones if she had known earlier.
This is a one-of-a-kind book that I feel everyone should read, if not for the story, then at least for the historical and cultural aspects. For me, it was a humbling experience and reminded me about being grateful for the life I have and not taking things for granted.
Received advance reader copy from Berkley Books via Penguin First to Read program.
It is against this backdrop of devastating war, endless infighting, and sheer chaos that the tragic yet poignant story of a Greek woman’s life unfolds. When the story opens, the main character Aliki is already in old age, still living in the rural Greek village where she grew up. She is a lamenter who mourns for the dead by chanting poems meant to honor the deceased at their wakes and funerals. As this is an ancient tradition that only the “old families” still observed, Aliki is the last of her kind in the village. One day, a scholar from an American university visits Aliki and asks if she can record her laments for a research project she is doing. She leaves Aliki with a recorder and cassette tapes for her to record her laments when they occur, telling her that she will be back in touch with her later. After the scholar is gone, Aliki starts recording, but instead of recording her laments, she ends up telling her life story. From there, we are transported back in time to 1943, at the tail-end of the war, when Aliki (who is in her teens – still a kid pretty much) has to witness first-hand her beloved father being executed by German soldiers for the mere crime of “stealing squash.” After that, Aliki’s life is marked by one tragedy after another and through it all, we witness her struggles with love, loss, and coming-of-age in a country that itself is struggling to come to terms with the aftermath of two devastating wars.
I must admit that this was a difficult book to read for me due to all the vivid descriptions of the atrocities of the wars that devastated Greece during the 1940s and 1950s. However, I am glad I read this book because, despite this being a work of fiction, I learned so much about a part of WWII history that I had no clue even existed. More importantly though, I was given a glimpse into a world and culture that, up to this point, I had largely been ignorant about. When it came to Greece, the extent of my knowledge basically ended at its ancient history, since that was mainly what was taught in school and its contemporary history was rarely ever mentioned. Aliki’s story is poignant and heartbreaking -- it is a story of love and loss but also of resilience, resolve, strength, and survival, all interwoven in a well-written novel that ended up being a surprisingly enjoyable read for me. One thing I will say is that I got a little bit confused at first about the title, since most of the story didn’t seem to have much to do with lamenting per se. But then I got to the end of the book, which was also the end of Aliki’s story, and that’s where the significance of the title as well as the theme of lamenting fell clearly into place for me. I actually feel the ending was brilliantly done, as I was a bit startled as well when Aliki was told a secret that had been kept from her for decades and very likely would’ve altered the course of her life as well as the lives of her loved ones if she had known earlier.
This is a one-of-a-kind book that I feel everyone should read, if not for the story, then at least for the historical and cultural aspects. For me, it was a humbling experience and reminded me about being grateful for the life I have and not taking things for granted.
Received advance reader copy from Berkley Books via Penguin First to Read program.
January 14, 2017
Finally, a proper work of literature. A genuinely engaging, stirring, compelling story, even an educational one. I chose to read this because I realized I don't know nearly as much about Greece's recent history as I do its ancient one. Granted, ancient history is a far more fascinating field of study, not to mention far more favorable to the birthplace of democracy, theatre, fables and so on than more contemporary times, but still...as far as educations go, I prefer a well rounded one. Especially when I can find it in fictional form. Especially when it's done as well as it this. So anyway...this novel set up in epistolary manner of sorts, done via long audio recordings for a visiting ethnographer and tells a story of a young Greek woman, a girl, really, forced to mature all too soon by the extraordinary circumstances, as she lives through WWII and the subsequent civil war, the latter arguably more devastating of the two, not to mention the following decades, which were barely an improvement. Not just a mere history recollection, this is a serious drama, a love story or really a love triangle of sorts made no less serious or ardent by the character's young ages, involving a Jewish boy she helps and her adoptive brother of sorts. The girl ends up an old woman, the eponymous last lamenter, mourning seemingly not just the life she didn't get to have, but also her country's tragic past and not so glorious present (it really only makes the news for its financial crisis and involvement in the immigrant crisis, basically crisis stories). Either that or it's a place you go to have a lovely vacation blatantly ignoring the privations around you with that special touristy characteristic of selective vision. Can't find much info on the author, GR only lists one other book to his credit, written long ago and also about Greece, point is the man knows his subject (having lived and worked there for a decade) and conveys his knowledge with skill and poignancy. Not a light read, obviously, as if one would expect much lightness from a war book with lament in its title, but a very good one. Very much worth the time. The sort of book that reminds a reader of what a reading experience ought to be. Strongly recommended. Thanks Netgalley.
July 19, 2016
I was fortunate enough to receive an early copy of this book, and what a stunning novel it is. A Greek epic in its own right, MY LAST LAMENT is the story of a nation trying to live up to its past while struggling to come to terms with its present, and of the indomitable people surviving that struggle. Aliki is a vivid and fully-realized heroine, by turns both fragile and formidable, and her story is one that will keep readers quickly turning the pages even as they linger over Brown's lovely language. MY LAST LAMENT is a book I will never forget.
December 24, 2016
I was excited to read this book, that is a Historical Fiction about characters in Greece during and after World War II. I've read so many that usually involve Germany, France and Britain, that I was eager to gain some knowledge about the part Greece had in WWII.
The story is told by an aged Aliki, on cassette tapes, as she recounts losing her family and her trek across Greece during the Nazi occupation with her makeshift family. I started out enjoying the book, but seriously was waiting for something to happen, that would make me more empathetic or connected to the characters. There were so many emotional connections that were lost to me.
About half-way through the book, it became somewhat tedious and frankly, I had difficulty reading the rest. One revelation at the end of the book, I didn't see coming, but by then, I didn't really care. It didn't explain anything either. The setting, the story, has many elements that would make it successful. I just didn't give me the background, or the emotional grief or anger I was expecting.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
The story is told by an aged Aliki, on cassette tapes, as she recounts losing her family and her trek across Greece during the Nazi occupation with her makeshift family. I started out enjoying the book, but seriously was waiting for something to happen, that would make me more empathetic or connected to the characters. There were so many emotional connections that were lost to me.
About half-way through the book, it became somewhat tedious and frankly, I had difficulty reading the rest. One revelation at the end of the book, I didn't see coming, but by then, I didn't really care. It didn't explain anything either. The setting, the story, has many elements that would make it successful. I just didn't give me the background, or the emotional grief or anger I was expecting.
Thank you to Berkley Publishing Group via NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book for an honest review.
July 25, 2017
A longer review is available on my blog:
https://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand....
I usually like historical novels about World War II and the holocaust but this book just didn't do it for me. I enjoyed the first third of the book but after the Germans left Greece, the story wasn't as interesting. I think the story would have been better if the story was centered around Stelios and his mother hiding in the basement of Aliki's home but after that point, there was too much going on and it became a very slow read. The puppetry seemed to take center stage when it was a less important topic of the book. The characters were very developed and there was a great representation of mental illness in Takis but they couldn't make up for the lack of a great story. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in more about the aftereffects of World War II and doesn't mind that there is a lot of unimportant fluff.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
https://reviewsofbooksonmynightstand....
I usually like historical novels about World War II and the holocaust but this book just didn't do it for me. I enjoyed the first third of the book but after the Germans left Greece, the story wasn't as interesting. I think the story would have been better if the story was centered around Stelios and his mother hiding in the basement of Aliki's home but after that point, there was too much going on and it became a very slow read. The puppetry seemed to take center stage when it was a less important topic of the book. The characters were very developed and there was a great representation of mental illness in Takis but they couldn't make up for the lack of a great story. I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in more about the aftereffects of World War II and doesn't mind that there is a lot of unimportant fluff.
Thank you to Netgalley and Berkley Publishing Group for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions are my own.
March 20, 2018
Set in modern Greece during WWII and after, the story of a woman, Aliki, and those close to her, in a small village and then after bearing the brutality of the Germans, wandering from her small village to Athens to Crete and back, told in her own words. She is the last of her kind: a professional lamenter at funerals, before the church service. Orphaned, she is taken in by a kind neighbor and her son. Harboring a Jewish mother and son, they are betrayed to the Nazis. Hiding in her "foster mother's" basement, the son entertains them with Karagöz shadow puppet plays. After atrocities in which the two woman are killed, the survivors band together and wander, using the puppet plays to eke out a living. On Crete, they find the guerrillas [ex-partisans] are just as cruel. Enthralling story, a different aspect of those years. I enjoyed learning something about the history of Greece in that period.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
April 8, 2017
I was hoping to fall in love with My Last Lament. Instead, I was mostly just bored and waiting for the good stuff to happen.
I love Greek history. I love WWII stories. This should have been a slam dunk! Instead, it's a plodding journey novel that emphasizes far too much of the minutiae than the actual plot. At times I started to forget what we were supposed to be waiting for; it became an informal game of me going as long as I could before I forgot what I was reading again.
In that regard, this book is extremely accurate. This may sound horrible, but have you ever asked an elderly person to tell you a story?
"The time I met Elvis? Well let's see, that was back in '62. We were in a nice diner, oh what was the name of it? Danny's Diner? No, that's not right. Maybe Denny's Diner. That sounds more like it; it must've been Denny's Diner. I was with my girlfriend at the time, Linda. Or was I with Sally by then? Yes, yes it was Sally. I remember now; she was wearing a beautiful blue dress. Elvis complimented her on her dress, you know."
It's impossible to get the main story out of them, even though you KNOW they saw some cool shit or were there for some amazing historical event.
This book was the same way. There was so much information I didn't care about in the slightest. I just kept wishing something would happen. It didn't help that I strongly disliked Takis and couldn't wait for him to go away. I had hoped that after he was a little asshole, Aliki and Stelios would've moved on from his betrayal and done something different. Nope! They kept him around pretty much for the entirety of the novel and it was idiotic. His character had no redemption and I found that his inclusion tainted the whole novel. Others may like it, but it just did nothing for me sadly.
I love Greek history. I love WWII stories. This should have been a slam dunk! Instead, it's a plodding journey novel that emphasizes far too much of the minutiae than the actual plot. At times I started to forget what we were supposed to be waiting for; it became an informal game of me going as long as I could before I forgot what I was reading again.
In that regard, this book is extremely accurate. This may sound horrible, but have you ever asked an elderly person to tell you a story?
"The time I met Elvis? Well let's see, that was back in '62. We were in a nice diner, oh what was the name of it? Danny's Diner? No, that's not right. Maybe Denny's Diner. That sounds more like it; it must've been Denny's Diner. I was with my girlfriend at the time, Linda. Or was I with Sally by then? Yes, yes it was Sally. I remember now; she was wearing a beautiful blue dress. Elvis complimented her on her dress, you know."
It's impossible to get the main story out of them, even though you KNOW they saw some cool shit or were there for some amazing historical event.
This book was the same way. There was so much information I didn't care about in the slightest. I just kept wishing something would happen. It didn't help that I strongly disliked Takis and couldn't wait for him to go away. I had hoped that after he was a little asshole, Aliki and Stelios would've moved on from his betrayal and done something different. Nope! They kept him around pretty much for the entirety of the novel and it was idiotic. His character had no redemption and I found that his inclusion tainted the whole novel. Others may like it, but it just did nothing for me sadly.
April 10, 2017
The synopsis for this book is pretty accurate - an old Greek woman, Aliki, is recounting her life on a series of cassette tapes left behind by an American researcher. Aliki grew up during the end of World War II and the Greek civil war. Most of the action of the book is centered in this time period.
My Last Lament is historical fiction in the vein of The Nightingale or The Muse, caught between narrative and historical accuracy and not really satisfying either. The story wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention, and the sense of place wasn't rich or evocative enough to feel like I was learning something about Greece during this troubled time. The book didn't really further illuminate the horrors of the Nazis or civil war beyond what I already understand.
Structurally, this was an awkward read. So much jumping around in time framed by the narrative device of an old woman speaking into the recorder. Maybe this was meant to mimic what it's like to record an older person talking about their life, but it just made for a confusing read.
Additionally, the character of Aliki, whose point of view we inhabit, is characterless and featureless. I don't mean she has bad character - she just has no character. I don't know anything about her from this book - her likes or dislikes or frame of mind - that isn't in reference to the two men who define her, Stelios and Takis. She feels shapeless. At one point, she is literally voiceless.
Which brings me to the way trauma and mental illness are portrayed in this book. Both the portrayal of PTSD and schizophrenia are un-nuanced and stereotypical. I wish more books were written about what it's like to process trauma or live with a mental illness, but losing the ability to speak or talking to trees is such a Google-able depiction of mental illness.
In general, much of the events and dialogue in this book felt stereotypical. Lines like: "Can't we get back to the way we were before?" (105) or "We're home now wherever we are." (238) are just so trite.
If you like historical fiction that skims the surface and jams in romance, then you might like this book. Otherwise, there are more illuminating or entertaining reads out there.
Thanks to First to Read for providing me an e-ARC of the book.
My Last Lament is historical fiction in the vein of The Nightingale or The Muse, caught between narrative and historical accuracy and not really satisfying either. The story wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention, and the sense of place wasn't rich or evocative enough to feel like I was learning something about Greece during this troubled time. The book didn't really further illuminate the horrors of the Nazis or civil war beyond what I already understand.
Structurally, this was an awkward read. So much jumping around in time framed by the narrative device of an old woman speaking into the recorder. Maybe this was meant to mimic what it's like to record an older person talking about their life, but it just made for a confusing read.
Additionally, the character of Aliki, whose point of view we inhabit, is characterless and featureless. I don't mean she has bad character - she just has no character. I don't know anything about her from this book - her likes or dislikes or frame of mind - that isn't in reference to the two men who define her, Stelios and Takis. She feels shapeless. At one point, she is literally voiceless.
Which brings me to the way trauma and mental illness are portrayed in this book. Both the portrayal of PTSD and schizophrenia are un-nuanced and stereotypical. I wish more books were written about what it's like to process trauma or live with a mental illness, but losing the ability to speak or talking to trees is such a Google-able depiction of mental illness.
In general, much of the events and dialogue in this book felt stereotypical. Lines like: "Can't we get back to the way we were before?" (105) or "We're home now wherever we are." (238) are just so trite.
If you like historical fiction that skims the surface and jams in romance, then you might like this book. Otherwise, there are more illuminating or entertaining reads out there.
Thanks to First to Read for providing me an e-ARC of the book.
January 13, 2017
The Last Lament begins in a small Greek village at the end of World War II. Greece has devolved into a ruinous civil war with village against village and, at times, villager against villager.
The elderly Aliki is the novel’s narrator, the last lamenter in her Greek village. She chants at wakes and funerals, the words pouring out of her. Aliki looks back on her life, beginning as a young girl when she witnessed her father’s execution by the Germans.
Life in her village becomes more dangerous and Aliki with two others runs to escape a village tragedy: Takis, an unstable youth who hears “voices” and Stelios, a teenager who has spent many years hiding from the Germans. Their struggle to survive and their intertwining relationships are the center of this heartbreaking story.
Aliki and Stelios become puppeteers, presenting popular Greek tales and myths in taverns throughout the countryside. Meanwhile, Takis often becomes undone, hearing voices telling him what to do. Aliki, in the throes of her first love, faces unbearable decisions. I began to see Aliki’s world, understanding the fear, the love, the jealousy and her burden of responsibility, questioning what I would do in her situation.
I became so involved in the characters in this story that at one point, I had to thumb many pages ahead to check on the fate of one of the characters. Where was he? Was he safe?
I loved this novel. The life in a Greek village was fascinating, though I was saddened by the barbarity of war. The art of telling myths and stories through puppetry was an added bonus. But most of all, the gripping story of three young people faced with the decisions they had to make and their aftermath kept me riveted until the final pages.
The elderly Aliki is the novel’s narrator, the last lamenter in her Greek village. She chants at wakes and funerals, the words pouring out of her. Aliki looks back on her life, beginning as a young girl when she witnessed her father’s execution by the Germans.
Life in her village becomes more dangerous and Aliki with two others runs to escape a village tragedy: Takis, an unstable youth who hears “voices” and Stelios, a teenager who has spent many years hiding from the Germans. Their struggle to survive and their intertwining relationships are the center of this heartbreaking story.
Aliki and Stelios become puppeteers, presenting popular Greek tales and myths in taverns throughout the countryside. Meanwhile, Takis often becomes undone, hearing voices telling him what to do. Aliki, in the throes of her first love, faces unbearable decisions. I began to see Aliki’s world, understanding the fear, the love, the jealousy and her burden of responsibility, questioning what I would do in her situation.
I became so involved in the characters in this story that at one point, I had to thumb many pages ahead to check on the fate of one of the characters. Where was he? Was he safe?
I loved this novel. The life in a Greek village was fascinating, though I was saddened by the barbarity of war. The art of telling myths and stories through puppetry was an added bonus. But most of all, the gripping story of three young people faced with the decisions they had to make and their aftermath kept me riveted until the final pages.
April 6, 2017
I have a love/hate relationship with the time I've spent reading this book.
I'm not a fan of the way the author actually writes. While writing the chapters as her cassette tapes is creative, his style of writing was much too long and drawn out for me. There were lots of details and tangents that took away from the story in my opinion: and honestly frustrated me because I just wanted to know what was happening. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about well timed and placed teasers. But regularly I found myself torn between wanting to give up reading this book and reading on to find out the end of Stelios's story.
Stelios was really the character that kept me going also. Aliki is our main protagonist, the narrator, but I didn't ever find an attachment to her. Her character growth was nothing compared to the hell this author put Stelios through. And his disappearance was honestly the one thing that kept me reading, because right as I had decided to give up and give this book one star, poof, Stelios had been kidnapped. Naturally I had to keep reading to find out his poor fate, and I'm glad that I did.
I just wish there would've been less jumbled description of the way herbs smelled and so on.
So in the end, I'm happy to have read this book. I'm glad I finished it, though I figured the ending would be what it was. But I will not be rushing to recommend this to anyone.
I'm not a fan of the way the author actually writes. While writing the chapters as her cassette tapes is creative, his style of writing was much too long and drawn out for me. There were lots of details and tangents that took away from the story in my opinion: and honestly frustrated me because I just wanted to know what was happening. Don't get me wrong, I'm all about well timed and placed teasers. But regularly I found myself torn between wanting to give up reading this book and reading on to find out the end of Stelios's story.
Stelios was really the character that kept me going also. Aliki is our main protagonist, the narrator, but I didn't ever find an attachment to her. Her character growth was nothing compared to the hell this author put Stelios through. And his disappearance was honestly the one thing that kept me reading, because right as I had decided to give up and give this book one star, poof, Stelios had been kidnapped. Naturally I had to keep reading to find out his poor fate, and I'm glad that I did.
I just wish there would've been less jumbled description of the way herbs smelled and so on.
So in the end, I'm happy to have read this book. I'm glad I finished it, though I figured the ending would be what it was. But I will not be rushing to recommend this to anyone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 20, 2019
This was such a great story. I know very little about Greece during and after WWII, so I really enjoyed learning more about that time period. The story itself is fascinating, and I easily got caught up in Aliki's life and wanted to know how it was all going to end for her. Besides the backdrop of WWII, there are so many other interesting things going on in this novel. Aliki is a lamenter, which was really cool to learn about, and puppet shows play a big part in this novel as well. I liked the Greek shadow puppet theater stuff a lot. It's not hand puppets, but more like marionette-type stuff where the puppets are all handmade and there's some serious talent involved. Anyway, this is a really great story filled with memorable characters and a really intriguing storyline.
Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so sorry it took me so long!
Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so sorry it took me so long!
March 30, 2017
This book was a true joy to read. It was beautifully written, with interesting characters and some little known Greek history. Being Jewish I have heard about the decimation of the Jews in Thessalonica and Rhodes. While the main character Aliki is not Jewish, another major character Stelios is. The book address what happened to the Jews and life on the islands after the Nazis were defeated. Alik, is the last professional lamenter – one who expresses grief – in her village. Lamenters were like mediums through whom the deceased’s life is expressed at wakes. Aliki was also frequently visited by the dead.
The story – of her own life - is told by Aliki via cassette tapes she is recording for a Greek-American scholar who is doing research on lament practices. Aliki tells of life in her little village under German occupation. When young Aliki is left orphaned she is taken in by Chrysoula, her friend Takis’s mother. Chrysoula also provided shelter for a Jewish woman named Sophie and her son Stelios.
Aliki, 17 years old, is caught in a love triangle involving her friend Takis (10 years old) and Stelios (nearer Aliki’s age). While young they all had to mature quickly, witnessing the execution of family members and other villagers. Like many countries in Europe, when WWII was over the survivors then had to deal with civil wars.
A form of entertainment at the time was the shadow theatre. I knew shadow puppetry was an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment in China, but I was not aware that it was used in Europe. A bit of the history of this art is given early on in the book. Stelios is quite proficient in it.
Aliki laments on the tragedies they lived through, the “what-if’s” that could have resulted in a totally different outcome, the ironies that of life, and the tarnishing of her home country.
The book is slow reading but well worth it. I loved the characters and had an emotional investment in them. There was so much heartbreak, so many regrets, yet much courage.
The story – of her own life - is told by Aliki via cassette tapes she is recording for a Greek-American scholar who is doing research on lament practices. Aliki tells of life in her little village under German occupation. When young Aliki is left orphaned she is taken in by Chrysoula, her friend Takis’s mother. Chrysoula also provided shelter for a Jewish woman named Sophie and her son Stelios.
Aliki, 17 years old, is caught in a love triangle involving her friend Takis (10 years old) and Stelios (nearer Aliki’s age). While young they all had to mature quickly, witnessing the execution of family members and other villagers. Like many countries in Europe, when WWII was over the survivors then had to deal with civil wars.
A form of entertainment at the time was the shadow theatre. I knew shadow puppetry was an ancient form of storytelling and entertainment in China, but I was not aware that it was used in Europe. A bit of the history of this art is given early on in the book. Stelios is quite proficient in it.
Aliki laments on the tragedies they lived through, the “what-if’s” that could have resulted in a totally different outcome, the ironies that of life, and the tarnishing of her home country.
The book is slow reading but well worth it. I loved the characters and had an emotional investment in them. There was so much heartbreak, so many regrets, yet much courage.
April 29, 2017
Thanks to the publisher, Penguin Random House, via Bookreporter, for a copy in exchange for my honest review.
To lament means to vocally express grief or regret. Our protagonist, Aliki, who lives in Greece, is one of the few people who still practice lamenting when someone in her village dies. She is asked by an ethnographer from the U.S. to record her laments on cassettes so the history of why and how Aliki does it will be preserved. While doing her recordings, Aliki gets sidetracked and tells us of her life as a child during WWII while living in Greece and on the island of Crete. There are disturbing flashbacks to her youth while she struggles to survive the War and then Greece's Civil War. Horrors of WWII are described in this historical fiction. I found the history of Greece's part in the War to be educational since I think mainly of Germany when WWII is mentioned. After reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I realized the part France had in the War as well.
Aliki felt she had the obligation to care for the son of the woman who cared for her when she was orphaned no matter what actions he took. Mental illness was not recognized as such and just dealt with as though the person was bad or a criminal.
I especially liked the segments on shadow theater (puppeteering) which added enjoyment to an otherwise sad novel. I feel this is a well-written, informative novel and has characters who seemed real to me. Mr. Brown writes with knowledge about Greece since he lived and taught there for 10 years. In his author's notes, he gives us references for anyone wishing more information on the craft of shadow theater, the art and practicing of lamenting, and the civil fighting in Greece. These references are a nice touch.
To lament means to vocally express grief or regret. Our protagonist, Aliki, who lives in Greece, is one of the few people who still practice lamenting when someone in her village dies. She is asked by an ethnographer from the U.S. to record her laments on cassettes so the history of why and how Aliki does it will be preserved. While doing her recordings, Aliki gets sidetracked and tells us of her life as a child during WWII while living in Greece and on the island of Crete. There are disturbing flashbacks to her youth while she struggles to survive the War and then Greece's Civil War. Horrors of WWII are described in this historical fiction. I found the history of Greece's part in the War to be educational since I think mainly of Germany when WWII is mentioned. After reading The Nightingale by Kristin Hannah, I realized the part France had in the War as well.
Aliki felt she had the obligation to care for the son of the woman who cared for her when she was orphaned no matter what actions he took. Mental illness was not recognized as such and just dealt with as though the person was bad or a criminal.
I especially liked the segments on shadow theater (puppeteering) which added enjoyment to an otherwise sad novel. I feel this is a well-written, informative novel and has characters who seemed real to me. Mr. Brown writes with knowledge about Greece since he lived and taught there for 10 years. In his author's notes, he gives us references for anyone wishing more information on the craft of shadow theater, the art and practicing of lamenting, and the civil fighting in Greece. These references are a nice touch.
April 20, 2017
This was an intriguing portrayal of WWII – there are certainly not many books sent in Greece during this time period, so the second I read the blurb I knew that I wanted to read The Last Lament. I was hoping for something along the lines of Anthony Doerr’s All the Light We Cannot See – a book set in WWII that isn’t about the holocaust so much as the lives of people in occupied countries and their day to day trials. Don’t get me wrong – books on the holocaust are so important, but it’s intriguing to get to read about the rest of the war, and the far-reaching effects it had all across Europe. The horrors of the holocaust often occupy the majority of our headspace (and our historical fiction), so it’s rare that an amazing book comes along that looks at other parts of this global conflict and shines a light where before there was only darkness.
And in many ways, The Last Lament lived up to my expectations. It’s beautifully written, though a bit slow at times, and the perspective is certainly unique. It was very interesting to learn more about Lamenters, and I enjoyed the almost magical-realism vibe that Aliki created when speaking about the dead and how she laments for them. The dead were so hyper-present here that I really did feel like the story had otherworldly ties, which sets it apart from other historical fiction. Despite that, it is still very much grounded in reality, and never feels far-fetched.
There are some very painful moments in this book, and even though the prose does feel a bit slow at times I loved how the tension is consistent. You can feel the stress between Aliki, Takis, and Stelios underneath everything all the time, and it kept me intrigued from start to finish. That, coupled with a few secrets that are slowly revealed in the present day, made this book a true mystery (and one that I was eager to solve).
I’d recommend this to anyone looking for a fresh perspective on WWII.
A huge thanks to Berkley Books for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review.
March 2, 2017
Thank you to Penguin First to Read for the opportunity to read this book in advance.
When I finished reading this last night, I was intent on giving this 4 full stars, but after thinking about it, I believe a 3.5 is more accurate.
I will say that I enjoyed the majority of this book. I learned so much about Greek culture that I had absolutely no idea about, such as the practice of lamenting for the deceased, and the political factions that existed before, during and after World War II. So much unnecessary bloodshed and death occurred during this period, not just at the hands of the Nazis, but from the Greeks upon their own people. What a tragic history Greece has suffered through.
The story itself was interesting. Aliki, the protagonist, is one of the last performers of the ancient lamenting tradition, which is basically to lose oneself in the grief of death and to chant sorrowfully, often making contact with those who have died. Aliki wakes up from her laments not knowing what she said or chanted, or for how long she had been lamenting for. It is a practice that the people of her small village find comforting after the deaths of their loved ones.
As a teenage girl, she watches her father die via execution by Nazis for 'stealing' food. She is taken in by Chrysoula and her young son Takis, who not long later hide two Greek Jews, Sophia and her son Stelios, in their basement. This beginning history of Aliki's life is what I found to be the most fun to read, that kept me entertained and fascinated.
Things become complicated after Stelios and Sophia are found out by the Germans, assumed to have been revealed by Takis out of his jealousy of the relationship between Aliki and Stelios. What ensues is a tangled web of emotions between Aliki, Stelios and Takis over the course of many years.
This book is a lot sadder than I originally thought it would be. There is constant war, neverending, even after the 'official' end of the Second World War. Politics in Greece were exceedingly tricky and complicated, and nobody was safe from anybody. But in this novel, there never seems to be an end, per se. Relationships between the characters grow, but many issues between them aren't really resolved.
The relationship between Takis and Aliki is the most confusing. Takis obviously suffers from schizophrenia, even as a very young child, though it's never said outright, but I wonder what the point of giving him this illness was. It was never really given much explanation, other than used as a tool to make the characters and readers believe he was guilty of crimes he didn't actually end up committing. Even the relationship between Aliki and Stelios was confusing, even though at times it was very sweet.
However, the characters are written vividly and I felt that they were three-dimensional. I felt their constant sadness and pain, even Takis', who was without question the most misunderstood of the cast.
The plot lulled for me about 3/4ths of the way in, and I wouldn't say I was bored, but I would say that the goings-on became much less page-turning as they continued on. The fighting and brutality was constant; even the most innocent among them didn't fare well. There were so many political factions that it was hard to keep track of who was fighting who and why, but that's not necessarily the author's fault. Also, it was hard to keep track of time passage. Did two years pass? Five? Ten? That wasn't really ever clear to me, and so it was hard to gauge whether Aliki was 14 or 24, or older. Moreover, as teenagers, Aliki and Stelios acted like adults, which made it difficult to discern how old they were, or if they were just magnificently mature for their ages.
I must say again that this book is very sad. There is hardly a positive, uplifting moment in the entire novel. But it was very interesting, and I learned quite a bit. I want to learn more about Greece and its participation during and after World War II, thanks to My Last Lament.
When I finished reading this last night, I was intent on giving this 4 full stars, but after thinking about it, I believe a 3.5 is more accurate.
I will say that I enjoyed the majority of this book. I learned so much about Greek culture that I had absolutely no idea about, such as the practice of lamenting for the deceased, and the political factions that existed before, during and after World War II. So much unnecessary bloodshed and death occurred during this period, not just at the hands of the Nazis, but from the Greeks upon their own people. What a tragic history Greece has suffered through.
The story itself was interesting. Aliki, the protagonist, is one of the last performers of the ancient lamenting tradition, which is basically to lose oneself in the grief of death and to chant sorrowfully, often making contact with those who have died. Aliki wakes up from her laments not knowing what she said or chanted, or for how long she had been lamenting for. It is a practice that the people of her small village find comforting after the deaths of their loved ones.
As a teenage girl, she watches her father die via execution by Nazis for 'stealing' food. She is taken in by Chrysoula and her young son Takis, who not long later hide two Greek Jews, Sophia and her son Stelios, in their basement. This beginning history of Aliki's life is what I found to be the most fun to read, that kept me entertained and fascinated.
Things become complicated after Stelios and Sophia are found out by the Germans, assumed to have been revealed by Takis out of his jealousy of the relationship between Aliki and Stelios. What ensues is a tangled web of emotions between Aliki, Stelios and Takis over the course of many years.
This book is a lot sadder than I originally thought it would be. There is constant war, neverending, even after the 'official' end of the Second World War. Politics in Greece were exceedingly tricky and complicated, and nobody was safe from anybody. But in this novel, there never seems to be an end, per se. Relationships between the characters grow, but many issues between them aren't really resolved.
The relationship between Takis and Aliki is the most confusing. Takis obviously suffers from schizophrenia, even as a very young child, though it's never said outright, but I wonder what the point of giving him this illness was. It was never really given much explanation, other than used as a tool to make the characters and readers believe he was guilty of crimes he didn't actually end up committing. Even the relationship between Aliki and Stelios was confusing, even though at times it was very sweet.
However, the characters are written vividly and I felt that they were three-dimensional. I felt their constant sadness and pain, even Takis', who was without question the most misunderstood of the cast.
The plot lulled for me about 3/4ths of the way in, and I wouldn't say I was bored, but I would say that the goings-on became much less page-turning as they continued on. The fighting and brutality was constant; even the most innocent among them didn't fare well. There were so many political factions that it was hard to keep track of who was fighting who and why, but that's not necessarily the author's fault. Also, it was hard to keep track of time passage. Did two years pass? Five? Ten? That wasn't really ever clear to me, and so it was hard to gauge whether Aliki was 14 or 24, or older. Moreover, as teenagers, Aliki and Stelios acted like adults, which made it difficult to discern how old they were, or if they were just magnificently mature for their ages.
I must say again that this book is very sad. There is hardly a positive, uplifting moment in the entire novel. But it was very interesting, and I learned quite a bit. I want to learn more about Greece and its participation during and after World War II, thanks to My Last Lament.
September 9, 2021
I think it’s perfect that I started this journey so many years ago. I picked up this book last night and was immediately pulled back in- this morning I woke up thinking about it.
Finishing it was one of the most bittersweet experiences of my life. So eloquently put and so potent. For a book titled, My Last Lament, I shouldn’t be so surprised that I feel as though I am mourning.
I felt as though I could see what Aliki saw, smell what she smelled, experience what she experienced. Which is heavy when she endured so much.
However, I did say bittersweet. There’s a tone, a constant murmur of colorful thread being woven into each line of story and dialogue. It’s as if you’re living her tale, taking in not just the trauma and the joy, but all of the small nuances of everyday life in old Greece.
When Aliki pauses her recordings to focus in on her current reality, you’re dragged back with her, thinking back on her story like a memory that’s fading from your own mind.
Finishing it was one of the most bittersweet experiences of my life. So eloquently put and so potent. For a book titled, My Last Lament, I shouldn’t be so surprised that I feel as though I am mourning.
I felt as though I could see what Aliki saw, smell what she smelled, experience what she experienced. Which is heavy when she endured so much.
However, I did say bittersweet. There’s a tone, a constant murmur of colorful thread being woven into each line of story and dialogue. It’s as if you’re living her tale, taking in not just the trauma and the joy, but all of the small nuances of everyday life in old Greece.
When Aliki pauses her recordings to focus in on her current reality, you’re dragged back with her, thinking back on her story like a memory that’s fading from your own mind.
April 5, 2017
Beautiful and thought-provoking historical fiction with characters you won’t ever forget. I really loved this book.
My Last Lament by James William Brown takes us back to World War Two and the years following, and Greece. I hadn’t ever read anything about Greece during WWII, and the subject matter here was the main reason I requested this book on NetGalley (not to mention that cover has a haunting quality to it). I wanted to learn more about Greece and WWII, and wow this book did not disappoint. I learned so much about Greece’s history, and what happened during the war and afterwards.
My Last Lament is told from the point of view of Aliki, an old woman who has the gift of lamentation. The book is told in the format of Aliki speaking into a tape recorder, so the book feels like a conversation, as we read Aliki’s memories of the past. I was instantly drawn to Aliki and her voice. She speaks in simple words, and there is no flowery prose here. Sometimes historical fiction, or literary fiction, can feel so wordy and pompous, but there is none of that here. I loved Aliki’s voice and character, and was interested in her story and her life. Hers is a voice I will not forget, as her story is heartbreaking and beautiful, and I felt an immediate connection to her.
Aliki’s father is killed by Nazi’s early on, and she goes to live with a woman, Chrysoula, and her son, Takis. Chrysoula soon takes in Jewish refugees, Sophia, and her son, Stelios, and has to hide them from the Nazi’s who have overtaken the village. I really liked the character of Chrysoula. She was strong and unflinching, and I enjoyed reading her character. Besides Chrysoula, Aliki’s other mother figure in the book comes in the form of Yannoula, who has been taking care of Stelios’s home in Athens. Yannoula was also a favorite of mine.
After the war ends, Takis, Aliki, and Stelios end up in Athens and try to start a life there. The three begin putting on shadow-puppet plays that star Karagiozis, and the real-life history of the shadow-puppet theatre was interesting. I had no idea about all this, and the shadow-puppets brought a haunting quality to the book, and also speak to the point about how important art is, even in times of war.
From Athens, the trio then goes to Crete, and they try to find a way of life there as well. I found the sections on Crete to be interesting, but also bogged the plot down a bit, and perhaps those parts could’ve used a bit of editing. It was interesting historical detail and setting, but it kind of stopped the flow of the story for a bit.
There is a bit of a love triangle of sorts here, and usually I can’t stand love triangles, but I didn’t have an issue with it here as Aliki’s choice is apparent from the beginning. The characters of Aliki, Stelios, and Takis are all well drawn and compelling. Each has their own voice and their unique personality, and they each interested me. I went back and forth with Takis, from being irritated by him to anger, to sadness, and then back again, and I just felt he was a well-written character, and perhaps the most interesting of the characters. The official synopsis mentions madness, and there is indeed madness in the book, and there are scenes that are very difficult to read. Not because they are too graphic, but because the subject matter is intense.
The book The Iliad is referenced here quite a bit, and as I just read that last year, it was interesting to see quotes from that book woven throughout and to be able to understand the references. You do not need to have read The Iliad however. Another book brought up a few times was The Count of Monte Cristo, and now I want to read that one more than ever!
I will not soon forget My Last Lament as the characters are so well done here, that their stories will stay with me. This book really surprised me and brought tears to my eyes, along with educating me about Greece’s history.
I think that this book would make for an excellent book club selection, as there is so much to discuss here (characters, history, plot, etc). I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction, or well-written characters.
Bottom Line: Beautiful and haunting, with unforgettable characters.
***I received an eARC copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This review first appeared on my blog, luvtoread: https://luvtoread.com/2017/04/04/myla...
My Last Lament by James William Brown takes us back to World War Two and the years following, and Greece. I hadn’t ever read anything about Greece during WWII, and the subject matter here was the main reason I requested this book on NetGalley (not to mention that cover has a haunting quality to it). I wanted to learn more about Greece and WWII, and wow this book did not disappoint. I learned so much about Greece’s history, and what happened during the war and afterwards.
My Last Lament is told from the point of view of Aliki, an old woman who has the gift of lamentation. The book is told in the format of Aliki speaking into a tape recorder, so the book feels like a conversation, as we read Aliki’s memories of the past. I was instantly drawn to Aliki and her voice. She speaks in simple words, and there is no flowery prose here. Sometimes historical fiction, or literary fiction, can feel so wordy and pompous, but there is none of that here. I loved Aliki’s voice and character, and was interested in her story and her life. Hers is a voice I will not forget, as her story is heartbreaking and beautiful, and I felt an immediate connection to her.
Aliki’s father is killed by Nazi’s early on, and she goes to live with a woman, Chrysoula, and her son, Takis. Chrysoula soon takes in Jewish refugees, Sophia, and her son, Stelios, and has to hide them from the Nazi’s who have overtaken the village. I really liked the character of Chrysoula. She was strong and unflinching, and I enjoyed reading her character. Besides Chrysoula, Aliki’s other mother figure in the book comes in the form of Yannoula, who has been taking care of Stelios’s home in Athens. Yannoula was also a favorite of mine.
After the war ends, Takis, Aliki, and Stelios end up in Athens and try to start a life there. The three begin putting on shadow-puppet plays that star Karagiozis, and the real-life history of the shadow-puppet theatre was interesting. I had no idea about all this, and the shadow-puppets brought a haunting quality to the book, and also speak to the point about how important art is, even in times of war.
From Athens, the trio then goes to Crete, and they try to find a way of life there as well. I found the sections on Crete to be interesting, but also bogged the plot down a bit, and perhaps those parts could’ve used a bit of editing. It was interesting historical detail and setting, but it kind of stopped the flow of the story for a bit.
There is a bit of a love triangle of sorts here, and usually I can’t stand love triangles, but I didn’t have an issue with it here as Aliki’s choice is apparent from the beginning. The characters of Aliki, Stelios, and Takis are all well drawn and compelling. Each has their own voice and their unique personality, and they each interested me. I went back and forth with Takis, from being irritated by him to anger, to sadness, and then back again, and I just felt he was a well-written character, and perhaps the most interesting of the characters. The official synopsis mentions madness, and there is indeed madness in the book, and there are scenes that are very difficult to read. Not because they are too graphic, but because the subject matter is intense.
The book The Iliad is referenced here quite a bit, and as I just read that last year, it was interesting to see quotes from that book woven throughout and to be able to understand the references. You do not need to have read The Iliad however. Another book brought up a few times was The Count of Monte Cristo, and now I want to read that one more than ever!
I will not soon forget My Last Lament as the characters are so well done here, that their stories will stay with me. This book really surprised me and brought tears to my eyes, along with educating me about Greece’s history.
I think that this book would make for an excellent book club selection, as there is so much to discuss here (characters, history, plot, etc). I highly recommend this book for anyone who loves historical fiction, or well-written characters.
Bottom Line: Beautiful and haunting, with unforgettable characters.
***I received an eARC copy of the book from the publisher via NetGalley. This review first appeared on my blog, luvtoread: https://luvtoread.com/2017/04/04/myla...
September 6, 2017
I wanted to love this book. I love historical fiction and I haven't read much on WWII's impact on Greece. Plus, I knew nothing of lamenters. It starts off pretty strongly but then unwinds along the way as rather than going by plot, you just get lots of meaningless details-one after the other. Until it becomes boring. I almost quit reading it after I was halfway through it, but kept on. Can't really say I was glad I did-the best part is the first half and by the end, I didn't even care what happened to any of them.
January 17, 2018
I received this via Goodreads Giveaways in exchange for an honest review,
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Good book , wonderful story and well written but not something I could fully get into.
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Good book , wonderful story and well written but not something I could fully get into.
January 12, 2023
really good concept and story line just drawn out so much to got hard to read/ super boring at parts
also i didn’t like how long the chapters are
also i didn’t like how long the chapters are
February 3, 2017
Oh, how I had such hopes for this novel. A story set in the small village of Crete and then Athens, and told by a professional lamenter, Aliki, should be an opportunity to hear a culturally rich story (from my perspective anyway, as I am not Greek and not familiar with the practice of lamenting). But the narrative style just did not allow that to happen.
Aliki, as a teenager, is an unworldly girl who lacks deep emotional resonance. I understand this because she is a girl interrupted by war and traumatized by its atrocities. In fact, on several occasions, she states that she is too exhausted or unwilling to contemplate the extraordinary events she experiences. These qualities do not make for a good story teller. But for crying out loud, she has no emotional response when her dead father starts talking to her. It's just a simple fact, directly stated, and briefly explained by old village beliefs.
As Aliki travels across Greece, many people tell her their stories of war. The stories should shock, and jar, and elicit an emotional response from Aliki and the reader. But again, the brief narrative style works against emotional connection because the stories are brief, delivered as simple fact, and directly stated. Also, these stories come from secondary characters who the reader does not know or have an attachment to, and Alki shares very little of her reactions.
The novel is titled My Last Lament, but there is a greater focus on WWII than the lament. I understand the reasoning; the reader needs the insight of the past to understand the last lament. But the tradition of lamenting is not universal, and the brevity of storytelling misses the opportunity for immersion and introspection. Very disappointing.
Aliki, as a teenager, is an unworldly girl who lacks deep emotional resonance. I understand this because she is a girl interrupted by war and traumatized by its atrocities. In fact, on several occasions, she states that she is too exhausted or unwilling to contemplate the extraordinary events she experiences. These qualities do not make for a good story teller. But for crying out loud, she has no emotional response when her dead father starts talking to her. It's just a simple fact, directly stated, and briefly explained by old village beliefs.
As Aliki travels across Greece, many people tell her their stories of war. The stories should shock, and jar, and elicit an emotional response from Aliki and the reader. But again, the brief narrative style works against emotional connection because the stories are brief, delivered as simple fact, and directly stated. Also, these stories come from secondary characters who the reader does not know or have an attachment to, and Alki shares very little of her reactions.
The novel is titled My Last Lament, but there is a greater focus on WWII than the lament. I understand the reasoning; the reader needs the insight of the past to understand the last lament. But the tradition of lamenting is not universal, and the brevity of storytelling misses the opportunity for immersion and introspection. Very disappointing.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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