In Memoriam

"In Memeoriam" is a tragic love story and a gripping example of the lack of justice in war. Readers accompany Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood, two entirely different yet endearing characters, on their journey of growing up during wartimes. Forbidden love, distorted views of masculinity, anger, violence, suffering, and grief. An absolute must-read!

A devastating, yet defiant lovestory of two young soldiers during the first world war. Winn's writing is absolutely beautiful. While the subject matter is undeniably sinister, the love these two men have for each other manages to be a beacon of light in the darkness.

Alice Winn’s debut novel is a prime example of how love and friendship can exist against the backdrop of war without taking anything away from its horrors. Ellwood and Gaunt’s relationship is beautifully written, securing this novel a place among my most favourite books for sure.

Alice Winn's debut novel is marvelous! The book follows the happenings of the First World War and definitely has a lot of bleak elements, but the main focus is the comradeship of the men (or boys) at the front. At the beginning I was a bit confused about the characters, because they were addressed with nicknames, middle names and family names, but after a while it got easier! The romance between Gaunt and Ellwood broke my heart! It was quite refreshing to read about some positive notions of homosexuality from the beginning of the 20th century. This book proves that it is delighting when new authors write historical fiction!

I cannot thank the two friends, which I won't call by name here, for recommending this novel to me. It is filled with so many emotions that all the languages I know failed me. After Lancali's "I Fell In Love With Hope" and Kawaguchi's "Before The Coffee Gets Cold", I haven't cried as heavily as reading this novel. This exchange of letters between friends at the front. Between people who cannot confess that they have feelings for each other. Despite all these inexplicable emotions and tears, I think of grabbing this novel again (and again) to simply read it once more. To visit Gaunt, Ellwood, Sandys and the lot one more. From its vibe, I would suggest it to people who liked E. M. Forster's "Maurice" or another rather historical queer fiction which has a flair of dramatics, heartache which also gets mended.