Everyone Brave is Forgiven

I very much enjoyed Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave which is set in London and Malta during World War II.  The main characters are Mary who has had a privileged life but wants to make a worthwhile contribution to the War effort.  In London, although unqualified, Mary is given a school to teach children who have not been evacuated in to the countryside (children that the country people don't want).  Mary matures here in a hostile environment.  The other main character is Alistair who has enlisted in the Army and is sent to Malta.  These characters become people we get to know and we care about what happens to them.  It is a horrific insight in to the terror and the matter of fact way people deal with these terrible situations when they could die at any moment.  There are a number of minor characters that we meet along the way and they are all interesting.  I enjoyed the banter between Alistair and his superior officer in Malta where they were under siege and starving.  Highly recommended. 5/5