Title: Call Me Athena
Author: Colby Cedar Smith
Publication Date: August 17 2021
My Rating: 4 Stars
Thank you to NetGalley for my opportunity to review this book. I read an e-copy of this book and also listened to the audiobook.
Synopsis: Call Me Athena is a novel in verse that follows Mary in 1930s Detroit. Mary is the daughter of Greek and French immigrants on her quest for her own freedom and path in the midst of facing sexism, the Great Depression, and her parents wanting her to fall into a traditional Greek female role.
My Thoughts: I loved this book! I really enjoyed the uniqueness of a multi-generational family story in verse format. I enjoyed the alternating timelines, where we got to see life from Mary’s viewpoint growing up in America, but also her parents’ pasts in Greece and France. While I found it infuriating that Mary’s parents were not supportive of her wanting to pave her own way, find love on her own terms, and start her own business, it was helpful to hear about their childhoods in Greece and France to give context for their rigidly held beliefs. This book was richly written and I loved the gorgeous descriptions.
Audio: I really enjoyed the narrators. The narration was fantastic and added so much to the story because the narrators were in character and had crisp, clear narration. Absolutely fantastic narration!
I highly recommend this book in any format!
Okay In My Book 