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All of You Every Single One
From an acclaimed and powerful talent in historical fiction, a literary historical novel set in a bohemian enclave of Vienna about love, freedom, and what constitutes a family
Set in Vienna from 1910 to 1946, All of You Every Single One is an atmospheric, original, and deeply moving novel about family, freedom, and how true love might survive impossible odds. Julia Lindqvist, a woman unhappily married to a famous Swedish playwright, leaves her husband to begin a passionate affair with a female tailor named Eve. The pair run away together and settle in the more liberal haven of Vienna, where they fall in love, navigate the challenges of their newfound independence, and find community in the city’s Jewish quarter. But Julia’s yearning for a child throws their fragile happiness into chaos and threatens to destroy her life and the lives of those closest to her. Ada Bauer’s wealthy industrialist family have sent her to Dr. Freud in the hope that he can cure her mutism—and do so without a scandal. But help will soon come for Ada from an unexpected place, changing many lives irrevocably.
Through the lives of her queer characters, and against the changing backdrop of one of the greatest cities of the age, Hitchman asks what it’s like to live through oppression, how personal decisions become political, and how far one will go to protect the ones they love. Moving across Europe and through decades, Hitchman’s sophomore novel is an intensely poignant portrait of life and love on the fringes of history.
Set in Vienna from 1910 to 1946, All of You Every Single One is an atmospheric, original, and deeply moving novel about family, freedom, and how true love might survive impossible odds. Julia Lindqvist, a woman unhappily married to a famous Swedish playwright, leaves her husband to begin a passionate affair with a female tailor named Eve. The pair run away together and settle in the more liberal haven of Vienna, where they fall in love, navigate the challenges of their newfound independence, and find community in the city’s Jewish quarter. But Julia’s yearning for a child throws their fragile happiness into chaos and threatens to destroy her life and the lives of those closest to her. Ada Bauer’s wealthy industrialist family have sent her to Dr. Freud in the hope that he can cure her mutism—and do so without a scandal. But help will soon come for Ada from an unexpected place, changing many lives irrevocably.
Through the lives of her queer characters, and against the changing backdrop of one of the greatest cities of the age, Hitchman asks what it’s like to live through oppression, how personal decisions become political, and how far one will go to protect the ones they love. Moving across Europe and through decades, Hitchman’s sophomore novel is an intensely poignant portrait of life and love on the fringes of history.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published August 5, 2021
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 171 reviews
January 10, 2022
An interesting historical novel about lesbian and gay couples in Vienna in the first half of the twentieth century. For me the book started well with story of Julia and Eve who move to Vienna together in 1910 but got bogged down as more characters and more background is introduced. Still a fascinating time to set the book.
May 29, 2021
Before everything, I'd like to thank NetGalley for the e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!
Following numerous paths relevant to the secretive lifestyle of the LGBT community in the early 1900s, and realize the pain and angst present in loving.
I'll be quite honest, the book was a bit dragging for me. The interpolation of the relationships was good, and the three lenses that showcased love through various emotions kept me intrigued. It had clear narratives and objectives for each story.
We watch Julia and Eve, bright-eyed lovers who make a run for it and decide that the world should prioritize them and their happiness soon hit a snag in their self-made paradise after Julia desperately wishes for a child. Rolf and Emil who hide away and have an affair despite the former having promised to never catch feelings, and the latter being a horrible husband and cousin. Lastly, Ada, who has suffered through violence at the rough hands of her cousin, finds comfort in the soft touches of her cousin's wife who has been nothing but the sweetest voice in her ear.
However, after 200 pages, the story then diverged and no longer had a clear narrative as more and more characters were introduced forging a half-baked plot towards the end of the book. We are introduced to two rather major characters (based on the amount of their presence) whom I remember much little of.
Aside from that, the writing style made things a bit more complicated to internalize the motivations of the characters. It centered too much around the technicalities of the surrounding elements such as minute conversations or irrelevant shifts in details. I found it hard to see the progression of conversation as well because of said writing style.
Overall, I liked the initial concept and the introductory chapters as well as the completion of each initial storyline. It was nice to see fictional LGBT history that was fairly accurate, and well explained through different situations. But it is admittedly hard to finish the book because of the final few chapters.
Following numerous paths relevant to the secretive lifestyle of the LGBT community in the early 1900s, and realize the pain and angst present in loving.
I'll be quite honest, the book was a bit dragging for me. The interpolation of the relationships was good, and the three lenses that showcased love through various emotions kept me intrigued. It had clear narratives and objectives for each story.
We watch Julia and Eve, bright-eyed lovers who make a run for it and decide that the world should prioritize them and their happiness soon hit a snag in their self-made paradise after Julia desperately wishes for a child. Rolf and Emil who hide away and have an affair despite the former having promised to never catch feelings, and the latter being a horrible husband and cousin. Lastly, Ada, who has suffered through violence at the rough hands of her cousin, finds comfort in the soft touches of her cousin's wife who has been nothing but the sweetest voice in her ear.
However, after 200 pages, the story then diverged and no longer had a clear narrative as more and more characters were introduced forging a half-baked plot towards the end of the book. We are introduced to two rather major characters (based on the amount of their presence) whom I remember much little of.
Aside from that, the writing style made things a bit more complicated to internalize the motivations of the characters. It centered too much around the technicalities of the surrounding elements such as minute conversations or irrelevant shifts in details. I found it hard to see the progression of conversation as well because of said writing style.
Overall, I liked the initial concept and the introductory chapters as well as the completion of each initial storyline. It was nice to see fictional LGBT history that was fairly accurate, and well explained through different situations. But it is admittedly hard to finish the book because of the final few chapters.
June 9, 2021
All of You Every Single One takes place in the early 1900s in Vienna and primarily focuses on the lives of the three pairs of people as they face the difficulties of identifying with the LGBT community prior to the second World War. Julia leaves her husband and her wealthy lifestyle to runaway with Eve, a tailor that she has fallen in love with. Both of them learn quickly how difficult life can be when their lifestyle is not fully accepted by others. Rolf, a fried of Julie and Eve's, has fallen for Emil. and believes that they could live a life together despite Emil's engagement to Isabelle. Ada is Emil's cousin that we learn early on has been abused by Emil and has found comfort with Isabelle.
When I saw that this book was a historical fiction with LGBT, I jumped on it so fast! I thought it would be the perfect start for Pride Month! So this book starts off with a bang. A baby is being stolen by a mysterious stranger and we see Julia leave her husband to start her new life with Eve. I'm not sure at what point this book started to become difficult to finish, but it was definitely before the 50% mark.. I just kept glancing down at the percentage thinking "I have HOW MUCH LONGER?!?!" This had nothing to do with the characters. I thought they were developed well with their individual personalities and struggles (Especially Rolf! He is my spirit animal!). The story was fine, but it just seemed to drag on and on for me.
All in all, it was not a horrible read. I fell in love with many of the characters, but I just wanted a little more from the story.. but also less?
I want to thank Netgalley and the Overlook Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
When I saw that this book was a historical fiction with LGBT, I jumped on it so fast! I thought it would be the perfect start for Pride Month! So this book starts off with a bang. A baby is being stolen by a mysterious stranger and we see Julia leave her husband to start her new life with Eve. I'm not sure at what point this book started to become difficult to finish, but it was definitely before the 50% mark.. I just kept glancing down at the percentage thinking "I have HOW MUCH LONGER?!?!" This had nothing to do with the characters. I thought they were developed well with their individual personalities and struggles (Especially Rolf! He is my spirit animal!). The story was fine, but it just seemed to drag on and on for me.
All in all, it was not a horrible read. I fell in love with many of the characters, but I just wanted a little more from the story.. but also less?
I want to thank Netgalley and the Overlook Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
April 4, 2022
a new favourite. this book was as heartwarming as it was devastatingly sad. i was so invested in the story and characters that i felt fuzzy while performing any activities other than reading until i finished the book. i don’t think i’m going recover for several business days at least.
May 17, 2022
What an agonizingly beautiful and tormented read. The sapphic and queer interwoven love stories (both platonic and romantic) are fraught, complex, and tender. I fell in love with all of the main characters quickly, and found that affection barely dissipated when a few of them made a very wtf decision involving a baby. Which is a testament to the author's writing of these characters. This is both a high stakes story and a story about the importance of community. It's about not fitting in, wanting to fit in, not wanting to fit in, having to fit in for survival.
I loved it. I loved the writing and the story.
My favourite line:
"I am a renegade", he said, "I am an original", which she took to mean, "I think I have failed in ordinary life", and "I am afraid to be alone".
I loved it. I loved the writing and the story.
My favourite line:
"I am a renegade", he said, "I am an original", which she took to mean, "I think I have failed in ordinary life", and "I am afraid to be alone".
January 9, 2022
I read an arc of this so this review doesnt reflect the final version. Here are some thoughts:
- Heres a trigger warning list for this book because theres a good amount:
- I think the first half of this book is way better than the second. It takes its time with following all the characters and weaving them together up to the big event. The second half was super slow and introduced a lot of characters to have their perspectives which i think was unnecessary and there could have been fewer pov characters with more time spent with the main core
- I love Rolf, Eve, and Julia and i wish more time was spent with Eve and Rolf to explore more about how they were feeling
- Ada's character feels a bit wasted? She visits Freud and it delves into her past but but after the halfway point of the book we never see her again. Its sad because shes the one who sets up the inciting incident for the book but after that night she stops existing in the narrative. Also, why did i have to read Ada Doing That
- I really like how the book explores the flaws of Eve and Julia's relationship as a queer couple and the expectations of perfection in their relationship
- I did not care about Elsa, like... at all
- Heres a trigger warning list for this book because theres a good amount:
- I think the first half of this book is way better than the second. It takes its time with following all the characters and weaving them together up to the big event. The second half was super slow and introduced a lot of characters to have their perspectives which i think was unnecessary and there could have been fewer pov characters with more time spent with the main core
- I love Rolf, Eve, and Julia and i wish more time was spent with Eve and Rolf to explore more about how they were feeling
- Ada's character feels a bit wasted? She visits Freud and it delves into her past but but after the halfway point of the book we never see her again. Its sad because shes the one who sets up the inciting incident for the book but after that night she stops existing in the narrative. Also, why did i have to read Ada Doing That
- I really like how the book explores the flaws of Eve and Julia's relationship as a queer couple and the expectations of perfection in their relationship
- I did not care about Elsa, like... at all
November 10, 2022
tw: sexual assault, antisemitism, violence, abuse, csa, homophobia
2.5
This is an incredibly hard book for me to rate. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, but that being said, I don't think this is a bad book, at all. It has a very interesting premise, which is what originally drew me to it. The lives of queer people at the beginning of the 20th century in Vienna sounded right about something I'd love to read. And it really was interesting.
Now, I would say this is a complicated book, not in the way of writing, or even the plot, as much as in terms of characters, their lives, and their choices. It is both the best part of the book and also why I (later on) didn't enjoy it as much. The book follows several storylines, all of which overlap. We follow Julia and Eve, who come to Vienna to be together after Julia leaves her husband. Their new neighbor there is a gay man who they befriend, Rolf, an actor who starts a relationship with an engaged man Emil. And finally, we follow Emil's cousin Ada, who we follow as she goes to Freud to cure her mutism, as she unpacks trauma from the past.
What I did like about this book is just seeing various queer people existing in early 20th century Vienna. I always find it so comforting to know that there were queer people in history, so to speak, even if these particular ones are fiction. As I mentioned the first half of the book, I liked more, the introduction of the characters and establishing their relationships was done very well, and the way their struggles and thoughts were depicted was very real and raw. What works so well is that we have these three main storylines, Julia and Eve, Rolf and Emil, and Ada and Isabel, and they're all completely different and showcase different lives, people, and types of love - both good and perhaps, slightly toxic. I really enjoyed Julia and Eve's relationship a lot, I think it was interesting to read about (even if I think some issues were simply glossed over). I especially enjoyed Eve and Rolf as characters, and I only wish we got a bit more about them outside of the relationships they have with others. But all of the characters of the first half of the book are well-written and well-developed, and that really is the strong point of the book.
About halfway through the book, the plot shifts from the narrative it was following and has the characters going different ways for a while, and this is where my liking of the book declines. Not so much because the characters are no longer in one place, but because the way the plot develops after this I find to be dragging, and simply not as interesting as the first half was. The exact point where it goes downhill for me is when most of the characters conspire (and succeed) in doing something I find very questionable - but that is met with next to no consequence throughout the book. This does, however, make them leave Vienna for a while, so maybe that is the one consequence this has.
After this, we have a pretty big time jump in the story, we are introduced to more characters, and if I'm being honest, I don't care about them very much - they just don't feel as interesting as the main characters of the first half. We lose Ada's POV completely, which is a shame, as she was a big character in the first half. There is only a slight glimpse of her in one of the later scenes, which tells us what she's up to at this point.
The characters ultimately do make their way back to each other, and to Vienna. This is now after World War 2 has ended, and after many harrowing things that they lived through, the characters are reunited. The ending is bittersweet, as is expected, but I didn't really feel that emotional about it, as the second half of the book really made me less interested in the overall story. The brief depictions of the beginning of WW2 and how it affected people, however, really did leave an impression on me, as they were harrowing.
All in all, this was a slightly confusing book. It had a great premise, and a great idea, but something in the execution (especially in the second half), was lacking to me. I listened to the audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narrators, so I would recommend the audio if you are interested in the book!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
2.5
This is an incredibly hard book for me to rate. I can't say I enjoyed it as much as I thought I would, but that being said, I don't think this is a bad book, at all. It has a very interesting premise, which is what originally drew me to it. The lives of queer people at the beginning of the 20th century in Vienna sounded right about something I'd love to read. And it really was interesting.
Now, I would say this is a complicated book, not in the way of writing, or even the plot, as much as in terms of characters, their lives, and their choices. It is both the best part of the book and also why I (later on) didn't enjoy it as much. The book follows several storylines, all of which overlap. We follow Julia and Eve, who come to Vienna to be together after Julia leaves her husband. Their new neighbor there is a gay man who they befriend, Rolf, an actor who starts a relationship with an engaged man Emil. And finally, we follow Emil's cousin Ada, who we follow as she goes to Freud to cure her mutism, as she unpacks trauma from the past.
What I did like about this book is just seeing various queer people existing in early 20th century Vienna. I always find it so comforting to know that there were queer people in history, so to speak, even if these particular ones are fiction. As I mentioned the first half of the book, I liked more, the introduction of the characters and establishing their relationships was done very well, and the way their struggles and thoughts were depicted was very real and raw. What works so well is that we have these three main storylines, Julia and Eve, Rolf and Emil, and Ada and Isabel, and they're all completely different and showcase different lives, people, and types of love - both good and perhaps, slightly toxic. I really enjoyed Julia and Eve's relationship a lot, I think it was interesting to read about (even if I think some issues were simply glossed over). I especially enjoyed Eve and Rolf as characters, and I only wish we got a bit more about them outside of the relationships they have with others. But all of the characters of the first half of the book are well-written and well-developed, and that really is the strong point of the book.
About halfway through the book, the plot shifts from the narrative it was following and has the characters going different ways for a while, and this is where my liking of the book declines. Not so much because the characters are no longer in one place, but because the way the plot develops after this I find to be dragging, and simply not as interesting as the first half was. The exact point where it goes downhill for me is when most of the characters conspire (and succeed) in doing something I find very questionable - but that is met with next to no consequence throughout the book. This does, however, make them leave Vienna for a while, so maybe that is the one consequence this has.
After this, we have a pretty big time jump in the story, we are introduced to more characters, and if I'm being honest, I don't care about them very much - they just don't feel as interesting as the main characters of the first half. We lose Ada's POV completely, which is a shame, as she was a big character in the first half. There is only a slight glimpse of her in one of the later scenes, which tells us what she's up to at this point.
The characters ultimately do make their way back to each other, and to Vienna. This is now after World War 2 has ended, and after many harrowing things that they lived through, the characters are reunited. The ending is bittersweet, as is expected, but I didn't really feel that emotional about it, as the second half of the book really made me less interested in the overall story. The brief depictions of the beginning of WW2 and how it affected people, however, really did leave an impression on me, as they were harrowing.
All in all, this was a slightly confusing book. It had a great premise, and a great idea, but something in the execution (especially in the second half), was lacking to me. I listened to the audiobook, and I really enjoyed the narrators, so I would recommend the audio if you are interested in the book!
Thank you to Netgalley for providing me with an arc in exchange for an honest review!
June 14, 2021
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC to review!
If I step back from the various woven narratives, this book reads like a gay Love Actually set in early 1900s Austria, which is a really cool idea! The interconnectedness of found family and community was a great concept to explore.
I enjoy myself some historical fiction now and then, something that really pulls you into a certain time and place, and there are parts of the story where the scene is set quite well - yet something was missing. The intro chapter started quite descriptive of the setting, but I had no idea what was going on until the last bomb dropping paragraph. Oh, so this book is about stealing a baby? Not what I expected from the description but okay. Still, the lead is buried in the intro. And overall, the book isn't about stealing a baby. At all. That doesn't happen until way, way later. And it's not even the most important part of the book.
For a little over 50% of the story, I have no idea what the book is about, really. Julia wants a baby. Eve doesn't. Rolf is a swindler and Emil is a bad tempered fellow. Heidi and Gunther just had a baby and are sleep deprived. This scene setting probably shouldn't have taken half of the book, as there isn't much of a story there. People do things. Meander from one activity to the next. At some point some people do a very bad thing and steal a baby, without consequences, so even that doesn't matter much.
Before baby stealing, there's no action, no villain, no conflict, no plot. People are moving about their lives but nothing happens. Something is going to happen, I'm promised, but halfway through the book I don't believe it anymore. Oh, 59% and things start getting real. Okay here's an interesting story now, seeing what happens to this group as the Nazi regime rises. You have a group of interesting characters and an adversary. That's a story. Everything that happened before? Not much of a story.
Character wise, I'm into it. Julia and Eve are yin and yang and make a great pair. Rolf acting as their gatekeeper into Vienna's gay scene was very cute. If you never had a Rolf for a friend, I'm so sorry. Emil and his wife Isabella are mismatched, of course, and the dynamics at play with their relationship with each other and Ada are tragic. Yet inserting Dr. Freud into the narrative is a cool twist - I've never seen Freud portrayed as a character before, so visits to his office were rather fun.
Maybe I'd enjoy this book more if the story was written in 1st person instead of 3rd, or if the plot wasn't dragging for the first half of the book. Cut out a lot of the first half, add more in about what happens to a few characters near the end who don't get enough attention in the post-baby stealing Nazi era, and boom, fixed. Once I hit the second half, I couldn't get enough! I needed to see what happens next.
If I step back from the various woven narratives, this book reads like a gay Love Actually set in early 1900s Austria, which is a really cool idea! The interconnectedness of found family and community was a great concept to explore.
I enjoy myself some historical fiction now and then, something that really pulls you into a certain time and place, and there are parts of the story where the scene is set quite well - yet something was missing. The intro chapter started quite descriptive of the setting, but I had no idea what was going on until the last bomb dropping paragraph. Oh, so this book is about stealing a baby? Not what I expected from the description but okay. Still, the lead is buried in the intro. And overall, the book isn't about stealing a baby. At all. That doesn't happen until way, way later. And it's not even the most important part of the book.
For a little over 50% of the story, I have no idea what the book is about, really. Julia wants a baby. Eve doesn't. Rolf is a swindler and Emil is a bad tempered fellow. Heidi and Gunther just had a baby and are sleep deprived. This scene setting probably shouldn't have taken half of the book, as there isn't much of a story there. People do things. Meander from one activity to the next. At some point some people do a very bad thing and steal a baby, without consequences, so even that doesn't matter much.
Before baby stealing, there's no action, no villain, no conflict, no plot. People are moving about their lives but nothing happens. Something is going to happen, I'm promised, but halfway through the book I don't believe it anymore. Oh, 59% and things start getting real. Okay here's an interesting story now, seeing what happens to this group as the Nazi regime rises. You have a group of interesting characters and an adversary. That's a story. Everything that happened before? Not much of a story.
Character wise, I'm into it. Julia and Eve are yin and yang and make a great pair. Rolf acting as their gatekeeper into Vienna's gay scene was very cute. If you never had a Rolf for a friend, I'm so sorry. Emil and his wife Isabella are mismatched, of course, and the dynamics at play with their relationship with each other and Ada are tragic. Yet inserting Dr. Freud into the narrative is a cool twist - I've never seen Freud portrayed as a character before, so visits to his office were rather fun.
Maybe I'd enjoy this book more if the story was written in 1st person instead of 3rd, or if the plot wasn't dragging for the first half of the book. Cut out a lot of the first half, add more in about what happens to a few characters near the end who don't get enough attention in the post-baby stealing Nazi era, and boom, fixed. Once I hit the second half, I couldn't get enough! I needed to see what happens next.
April 22, 2022
Beatrice Hitchman chooses a fascinating time in history to explore this story. Set in Vienna in 1911, All of You Every Single One is a complex novel, and includes several different groups of people. It’s an interesting idea, and I enjoyed the way the tales weave together.
The audio version is beautifully narrated by Sophie Ward and Lara King. Kudos to these two performers, who keep this long and intricate story moving along.
thank you to Orange Sky Audio via NetGalley for providing an audio ARC for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
The audio version is beautifully narrated by Sophie Ward and Lara King. Kudos to these two performers, who keep this long and intricate story moving along.
thank you to Orange Sky Audio via NetGalley for providing an audio ARC for the purpose of my honest review, all opinions are my own
January 30, 2023
3.5
I really liked the concept of this book, what irked me was the execution. It felt like the author tried to include all major issues of the time the story was set in and at some moments I felt like the jumps in time were way too abrupt and made the story feel a little underdeveloped. The characters were also….questionable lol
Overall, did enjoy the book but also feel a bit conflicted about it.
I really liked the concept of this book, what irked me was the execution. It felt like the author tried to include all major issues of the time the story was set in and at some moments I felt like the jumps in time were way too abrupt and made the story feel a little underdeveloped. The characters were also….questionable lol
Overall, did enjoy the book but also feel a bit conflicted about it.
July 18, 2022
At first i was very confused why everyone rated this 3 stars because the first 2/3rds of the book were very intriguing. I say that but bc i have never read a book like this. The end was a lot more confusing and i didn’t understand why certain things were being included. Either way it was still a very unique book with the most captivating characters and stories.
scrapped
March 16, 2022I got 100 pages in and realized the desire to skim was already upon me. I read a few reviews and decided this would not be something that changed, so I should go ahead and practice what I preach and stop reading. So. Nothing wrong with this book, I just wasn't feeling the characters or the plot(s).
June 9, 2021
All of You Every Single One takes place in the early 1900s in Vienna and primarily focuses on the lives of the three pairs of people as they face the difficulties of identifying with the LGBT community prior to the second World War. Julia leaves her husband and her wealthy lifestyle to runaway with Eve, a tailor that she has fallen in love with. Both of them learn quickly how difficult life can be when their lifestyle is not fully accepted by others. Rolf, a fried of Julie and Eve's, has fallen for Emil. and believes that they could live a life together despite Emil's engagement to Isabelle. Ada is Emil's cousin that we learn early on has been abused by Emil and has found comfort with Isabelle.
When I saw that this book was a historical fiction with LGBT, I jumped on it so fast! I thought it would be the perfect start for Pride Month! So this book starts off with a bang. A baby is being stolen by a mysterious stranger and we see Julia leave her husband to start her new life with Eve. I'm not sure at what point this book started to become difficult to finish, but it was definitely before the 50% mark.. I just kept glancing down at the percentage thinking "I have HOW MUCH LONGER?!?!" This had nothing to do with the characters. I thought they were developed well with their individual personalities and struggles (Especially Rolf! He is my spirit animal!). The story was fine, but it just seemed to drag on and on for me.
All in all, it was not a horrible read. I fell in love with many of the characters, but I just wanted a little more from the story.. but also less?
I want to thank Netgalley and the Overlook Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
When I saw that this book was a historical fiction with LGBT, I jumped on it so fast! I thought it would be the perfect start for Pride Month! So this book starts off with a bang. A baby is being stolen by a mysterious stranger and we see Julia leave her husband to start her new life with Eve. I'm not sure at what point this book started to become difficult to finish, but it was definitely before the 50% mark.. I just kept glancing down at the percentage thinking "I have HOW MUCH LONGER?!?!" This had nothing to do with the characters. I thought they were developed well with their individual personalities and struggles (Especially Rolf! He is my spirit animal!). The story was fine, but it just seemed to drag on and on for me.
All in all, it was not a horrible read. I fell in love with many of the characters, but I just wanted a little more from the story.. but also less?
I want to thank Netgalley and the Overlook Press for a free eARC of this book in exchange for my honest reviews.
January 15, 2024
Technically I would give this 4.5 stars. I loved the way this book was written, the wording was really beautiful.
Like most of the reviewers on here I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second. I wish we had seen more of Ada in the latter half, and less of Elsa (who was the only character I didn’t really enjoy reading).
The plot in the first half had me really gripped and while I enjoyed seeing the different dynamics that came with the later time jump, I would have loved to see more immediate fall out from the execution of Rolf’s plan.
I loved Eve, Julia and Rolf. Eve and Julia’s relationship was really nice to follow and the historical elements of the war made their story even more interesting. It felt like such a nice and loving depiction of a queer couple for the time period.
I think my favourite thing about this book is it’s messaging around found family especially in terms of LGBTQIA+ people, I loved the characters relationships with each other.
Like most of the reviewers on here I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second. I wish we had seen more of Ada in the latter half, and less of Elsa (who was the only character I didn’t really enjoy reading).
The plot in the first half had me really gripped and while I enjoyed seeing the different dynamics that came with the later time jump, I would have loved to see more immediate fall out from the execution of Rolf’s plan.
I loved Eve, Julia and Rolf. Eve and Julia’s relationship was really nice to follow and the historical elements of the war made their story even more interesting. It felt like such a nice and loving depiction of a queer couple for the time period.
I think my favourite thing about this book is it’s messaging around found family especially in terms of LGBTQIA+ people, I loved the characters relationships with each other.
December 9, 2024
Is it still considered queering if the history of queerness is already known? This novel, presumably well-researched, focuses on Vienna-based lesbians, and their gay male best friend (and, fittingly, his various lovers) starting in 1910 and on to 1946. It's a sweeping melodrama that involves living with partners, baby lust, kidnapping, and relationship struggles. There's a lot of salacious plot points-- a tormented dude who is abusive to his young cousin-- who ends up on Freud's couch. But what happens to her is only hinted at later. While the budding relationship between the two women is engaging, there is a lot tossed in the mix, and often just left dangling. More problematic is the way that the characters' emotional responses to encroaching Brown Shirts, and cruel actions by loved ones, are so opaque. Hitchman heads the chapters with character names, to imply they are the focus of each, but that structure is loose and the narrative rambles. And rambles.
April 22, 2022
2.5 rounding up. I really wanted to like this more, but the first half was definitely better than the second.
September 27, 2025
10/10 for queer character representation - loved that they were flawed and complex, and that the relationships were just as human.
I think it reflects upon Vienna as a city too in a little love note, how there were spaces over 100 years ago for liberal, queer and alternative lifestyles, which were just wiped out.
As others have written, the midway time split did create a slight dissidence, with Ada's character POV disappearing and Elsa joining (what a petulant brat).
With the backdrop of WW2, we all kinda knew what would happen, someone would be missing at the end of it.
worth noting, as others have, that there are scenes of abuse, antisemitism that are hard to read.
I think it reflects upon Vienna as a city too in a little love note, how there were spaces over 100 years ago for liberal, queer and alternative lifestyles, which were just wiped out.
As others have written, the midway time split did create a slight dissidence, with Ada's character POV disappearing and Elsa joining (what a petulant brat).
With the backdrop of WW2, we all kinda knew what would happen, someone would be missing at the end of it.
worth noting, as others have, that there are scenes of abuse, antisemitism that are hard to read.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 11, 2021
First I want to thank Netgalley and The Overlook Press for allowing me to read this ARC for an honest review. All reviews are my own.
In a time when the world was in turmoil, from oppression to genocide, to the onset of tuberculosis, In Vienne from 1910 to 1946, a community of love was born. All of You, Every Single One is a tale of community, friendship, family, and love. Told through multiple points of view, we see into the lives of Eve and Julia, Rolf and his two partners, and Aida and her family, and the trials and tribulations they encompass throughout their lives. In a world where homosexuality is secret and unforgivable, these couples show that love and friendship really does overcome all.
As the genre states, this novel primarily is based on history itself. Throughout the novel, Beatrice Hitchman introduces her readers to many of the events our world has faced. Things such as the wide spread of tuberculosis that was running rampage and extremely contagious. Beatrice also introduces us to the ridicule and bias that people, still to this day, throw at homosexual couples, and the genocide of the Jewish population. Even though the story itself is fiction, it is a good reminder of what the world was like back in the early 1900s. This is what I most enjoyed about All of You, Every Single One.
I found the multiple points of view in parts confusing, but also eye opening. By hearing from each characters viewpoint, you understand each unique situation they faced, to which you’d never be introduced to, just having the story told from just one character. But I also found many parts confusing. I felt that there was almost too much information being thrown at you, and some of it wasn’t pertinent to the storyline. I had a hard time connecting these moments to the bases of the story. I had to keep checking the synopsis and others reviews to make sure I wasn’t missing something. I felt uncertain in my comprehension.
I had a love/hate relationship with all of these characters. At times, I felt they were strong and brave for choosing love instead of conformity. At others time, they did such despicable things for and to each other. I found myself changing my mind about them every single chapter. Beatrice did a great job with her character building. She makes her characters more relatable and keeps you wanting to know more.
Overall, I gave this book three stars and I would recommend it. It was not a bad read, and as you can see, there are things I very much enjoyed. I did feel that the story dragged in many places and the confusing narrative from multiple points of view, took the joy out of this it. Nevertheless, due to the nature of the historical events, I still think many will appreciate what the author is portraying.
In a time when the world was in turmoil, from oppression to genocide, to the onset of tuberculosis, In Vienne from 1910 to 1946, a community of love was born. All of You, Every Single One is a tale of community, friendship, family, and love. Told through multiple points of view, we see into the lives of Eve and Julia, Rolf and his two partners, and Aida and her family, and the trials and tribulations they encompass throughout their lives. In a world where homosexuality is secret and unforgivable, these couples show that love and friendship really does overcome all.
As the genre states, this novel primarily is based on history itself. Throughout the novel, Beatrice Hitchman introduces her readers to many of the events our world has faced. Things such as the wide spread of tuberculosis that was running rampage and extremely contagious. Beatrice also introduces us to the ridicule and bias that people, still to this day, throw at homosexual couples, and the genocide of the Jewish population. Even though the story itself is fiction, it is a good reminder of what the world was like back in the early 1900s. This is what I most enjoyed about All of You, Every Single One.
I found the multiple points of view in parts confusing, but also eye opening. By hearing from each characters viewpoint, you understand each unique situation they faced, to which you’d never be introduced to, just having the story told from just one character. But I also found many parts confusing. I felt that there was almost too much information being thrown at you, and some of it wasn’t pertinent to the storyline. I had a hard time connecting these moments to the bases of the story. I had to keep checking the synopsis and others reviews to make sure I wasn’t missing something. I felt uncertain in my comprehension.
I had a love/hate relationship with all of these characters. At times, I felt they were strong and brave for choosing love instead of conformity. At others time, they did such despicable things for and to each other. I found myself changing my mind about them every single chapter. Beatrice did a great job with her character building. She makes her characters more relatable and keeps you wanting to know more.
Overall, I gave this book three stars and I would recommend it. It was not a bad read, and as you can see, there are things I very much enjoyed. I did feel that the story dragged in many places and the confusing narrative from multiple points of view, took the joy out of this it. Nevertheless, due to the nature of the historical events, I still think many will appreciate what the author is portraying.
July 31, 2022
i’ve never wanted to be friends with characters in a book so bad 3 the banter and affection that eve, julia, rolf and the others have is so nice to read and makes me wish i had friends like that haha. and the way they stayed friends for years and continued to be loyal and dependable and whatnot regardless of how limited their communication was, was very sweet. i think this was a very interesting book to read and see how the different lives of each characters intertwined with one another and getting to read from their perspectives as well. i do wish that we could have gotten more story about elsa as a baby/child since it skipped to her being in her twenties after she become eve and julia’s. overall i really enjoyed it though!
October 13, 2022
I may be slightly over-generous in my rating, but I thought this book was so tender, so poignant and so beautifully written to deserve five stars. There are many big themes here - gay and lesbian relationships, chosen vs natural families, a kidnapping that propels the story, the rise of fascism, Vienna between the wars, even Sigmund Freud - but underneath all that it’s just a story about two women trying to find normalcy, family and happiness against almost unimaginable odds.
May 9, 2023
two months of a reading slump and i’ve finally finished this book!! 😭 the writing style and time jumps made this so unique and the characters were so lovable plus.. gay as hell. love love loved it although i would have liked more of an update on ada in the later years bc she was one of my fave characters :(
June 28, 2022
Would this have been better if I had read it instead of listened? The author tried to do too much and add too many characters and the plot suffered for it. There was a whole kidnapping and it was still boring
July 9, 2022
dnf at 75%
have twelve library books checked out at the moment so i’m not even going to lie, i don’t have time for this. i thought i could push through the last little bit, but it’s so boring. the pacing has been so slow and it doesn’t really feel like anything happens? then around halfway through we get tons more perspectives and everything gets all jumbled and messy. just not for me.
have twelve library books checked out at the moment so i’m not even going to lie, i don’t have time for this. i thought i could push through the last little bit, but it’s so boring. the pacing has been so slow and it doesn’t really feel like anything happens? then around halfway through we get tons more perspectives and everything gets all jumbled and messy. just not for me.
November 1, 2021
I found this so intriguing and haunting. It was beautifully written with complex characters and stories that wove together in clever and satisfying ways. The more I read, the more invested I became. I'm still pondering on the end and what it means to me but other than that I found it difficult to fault. Highly recommend it if the premise catches your attention!
January 6, 2025
I agree with all other reviews in that it was very well written and cohesive up to around page 200. After that it felt like a frantic attempt to tie strings of all social issues of the 1930s together, also some very random sentences in very modern english despite that the rest of the book is written in the context and language of the 1930s.
A good story overall.
A good story overall.
May 29, 2024
I loved the first half of this book! Felt connected to the characters and it is very well written - and very queer!
However about halfway through there is a shift and lots of new characters are introduced and I found it harder to get on board with
However about halfway through there is a shift and lots of new characters are introduced and I found it harder to get on board with
March 22, 2022
Literary historical goodness. Definitely a favorite read of 2022.
January 14, 2023
3.75
felt like an old austrian movie
felt like an old austrian movie
October 20, 2025
This book was objectively very good, but not personally very enjoyable... It felt far too graphic but only about strange things that I wouldn't have considered I could have too many details about. I do relate to Julia a lot which feels problematic at best and dangerous at worst...
December 18, 2022
amazing
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