*** AUDIO REVIEW *** CALL ME ATHENA by Colby Cedar Smith

 

This enchanting novel in verse captures one young woman’s struggle for independence, equality, and identity as the daughter of Greek and French immigrants in tumultuous 1930s Detroit.

Call Me Athena: Girl from Detroit is a beautifully written novel in verse loosely based on author Colby Cedar Smith’s paternal grandmother. The story follows Mary as the American-born daughter of Greek and French immigrants living in Detroit in the 1930s, creating a historically accurate portrayal of life as an immigrant during the Great Depression, hunger strikes, and violent riots.

Mary lives in a tiny apartment with her immigrant parents, her brothers, and her twin sister, and she questions why her parents ever came to America. She yearns for true love, to own her own business, and to be an independent, modern American woman—much to the chagrin of her parents, who want her to be a “good Greek girl.”

Mary’s story is peppered with flashbacks to her parents’ childhoods in Greece and northern France; their stories connect with Mary as they address issues of arranged marriage, learning about independence, and yearning to grow beyond one’s own culture. Though Call Me Athena is written from the perspective of three profoundly different narrators, it has a wide-reaching message: It takes courage to fight for tradition and heritage, as well as freedom, love, and equality.

What a delightful story?  The story is told from three points of view and narrated by three different people.  Each character tells their story from the perspective of their birthplace.  Mary is a first-generation American living in Detroit during the Great Depression.  She is frustrated that her parents, especially her father, wants her to embrace her Greek heritage.  For Mary this means she can look forward to an arranged marriage, a future only as a wife and mother, and absolutely no one listens to her dreams and plans.

 Mary is determined to marry for love, show people that she has a brain for business, and be an all-around modern American woman.  She is angry at her parents and wonders why her parents even came to America.  Wouldn’t her mother be happier in France?  If her father loves Greece so much, why isn’t he there?  These questions circle around in her head until one day she finds a box of love letters her parent wrote to each other that tells their story. 

This is a book I requested from NetGalley to listen/read with my granddaughter for her summer reading challenge.  It is a heartwarming look at a young girl dealing with loss and a lot of disappointments.  As she reads her parents’ letters, narrated from the parent point of view, she learns about their struggles, and hopes for their future.  The revelation of love as the story progresses is touching and made more poignant because this is based on the author’s memories of her own grandmother’s tales. 

It took a little longer for my granddaughter to get into the story than me, primarily because of the historical setting, but in the end we both enjoyed learning about life during this difficult time in history. We both recommend the audiobook for parents and teenaged children.  It spurs a lot of questions, and discussions plus a desire to learn more about our personal history.  I highly recommend this exceptional narration of a thought provoking book.

4 STARS