I'm sorry I waited so long to read this book. The story is fascinating. Structured as recordings by an elderly Greek woman  who is part of a research project about "Laments"--epic poems/recitations that are given at the wake for the recently deceased. Told in first person, the woman does tell about the Laments and her life in a small Greek village, but she also takes the reader/listener to the past during the Nazi occupation and a few years past the end of the war when Greek government was in chaos. 

This is a story I had not heard before. There are plenty of books being written about WWII Europe, but the majority focus on Great Britain, France, and Italy. I knew very little about Greece under the Nazis, and virtually nothing about the period after the war when guerrilla fighters, communist rebels, royal loyalists, and proponents of democracy were at odds. But, at its heart, this is a love story -- about family and friends and lovers who are caught up in the circumstances of war and revolution. While I do not think this is the best of the genre, the story is compelling and I could not put it down. Definitely worth the time.

My Last Lament is told by Aliki.    She witnesses her father’s murder while in Greece during WWII.    The story she tells starts at her childhood and continues throughout her life.     There was so much death, poverty, and hope within Aliki’s story.    

This story is written as if Aliki is speaking directly to the reader.   I felt like I was having a personal conversation with her and I was connected to her.      I could feel her pain, her worries, and her hope in the future.      She was such a strong and amazing character that I found myself looking up to her.   Her determination to make a life for herself and those who are important to her made her a hero of her time.     I was in awe of all that she did without yet when someone else was in need she never hesitated to offer her help.  

My Last Lament is a worthy read.   It is not a light or easy story but one that will stay with you.

I loved the characters in this novel which brought to the forefront, the conflicting feelings of Greek traditions - and a nation trying to live up to its history during WWII with the  German occupation, the devastation of war, loss and suffering - at a time when the main character was coming of age. 
The main character lamented her losses and hardships and recorded them on tapes for a sociologist to write a history.  The story included so much more than her loss and hardship.  It was a story of family (real and adopted) , love, bravery, mental illness and resilience, resolve, strength and survival.

This was such a great story. I know very little about Greece during and after WWII, so I really enjoyed learning more about that time period. The story itself is fascinating, and I easily got caught up in Aliki's life and wanted to know how it was all going to end for her. Besides the backdrop of WWII, there are so many other interesting things going on in this novel. Aliki is a lamenter, which was really cool to learn about, and puppet shows play a big part in this novel as well. I liked the Greek shadow puppet theater stuff a lot. It's not hand puppets, but more like marionette-type stuff where the puppets are all handmade and there's some serious talent involved. Anyway, this is a really great story filled with memorable characters and a really intriguing storyline.   


Thank you so much NetGalley and Berkley Publishing Group for a free copy of this in exchange for an honest review, and I'm so sorry it took me so long!

This book was a really interesting examination of a time I knew very little about. Many books about WWII focus on other areas of Europe and the fact that this focused on Greece and the Mediterranean was deeply interesting. I quite enjoyed reading from Aliki's perspective and the unique format of her recording her story on tapes lent itself well to the type of story being told.

A girl barely survives the Nazi occupation of her village by running away with a family friend and a Jewish refugee. As the three make their way across the country, they will lose and find one another and themselves countless times before the war ends. Author James William Brown tries to follow his characters but lets the story meander in the rambling novel My Last Lament.

In modern-day Greece in a small northeastern village, Aliki is approached by a graduate student focusing on the tradition of lamenting. Aliki is one of the last lamenters left in the region, a professional mourner hired to keen when people die. Left with a tape recorder and several blank cassette tapes, Aliki begins sharing her thoughts on her life, the heritage of mourning for those not related to her, and her experiences during World War II.

In the late 1930s and early 1940s, the Germans have occupied major sections of Greece. A teenage Aliki watches in horror as these men in their crisp uniforms and tight formations shoot her father for stealing squash, a crime committed only because of the abject hunger he and Aliki are experiencing. Other villagers are beaten, tortured, and killed for even lesser deeds named as crimes.

After her father’s death, Chrysoula, a family friend, takes in Aliki. Aliki gets along well with Chrysoula’s son, Takis, and views him with fondness and affection as a younger brother. The two play and laugh; it’s almost like life has taken a new shape of normal.

When Aliki discovers that Chrysoula has also taken in two Jewish refugees, however, her world changes. The mother and son managed to escape the Nazis in Athens and have scurried from village to village since then seeking help. Their arrival means an increased level of danger for everyone, especially Aliki, Chrysoula, and Takis. Takis, in particular, takes an instant dislike to the son, Stelios, and the way Stelios captivates Aliki with the shadow puppets he creates and the stories he tells with them.

Despite Chrysoula’s best efforts to keep Stelios and his mother hidden, someone eventually alerts the Germans. A bloody battle ensues, and Aliki, Takis, and Stelios manage to escape. They head to Athens where Stelios is sure they can find help. The journey takes them from Athens to the island of Crete, from a grand home to a prison camp. The shadow puppets become a means of survival and a way to forget the horrors they have witnessed, but they also stand as testament to all that they have lost.

Author James William Brown begins the book with a unique framing method. Dividing the story into “cassettes”—that is, the number of tapes Aliki uses to tell her story—he gives readers the chance to “listen in” as Aliki shares her thoughts with the unnamed college student. The unusual storytelling method may entice target audience members to begin reading, but the story ambles along. While some of the experiences Aliki relates certainly make for compelling reading, at some point readers might wonder what any of it has to do with lamenting.

The argument, of course, could be made that the tapes themselves are a final lament for Aliki before she finishes out her days as an old woman in a forgotten village. Unfortunately, that idea isn’t strong enough to sustain an entire book. Anyone personally touched by the Holocaust has a right to lament, to grieve, what they’ve lost. Brown misses out on an incredible opportunity to showcase this unusual rural institution; what follows, instead, is just another book about World War II.

Brown scores a few points for giving readers a glimpse into the horrors of Nazism as they affected Greece, a country not normally associated with the extreme movement. The book serves as a reminder that this terrible period in history affected many more people than initially known. Had Brown attempted a more straightforward approach with the novel, it would have offered much more compelling reading. Instead, one character suffers from mental illness, another goes to a prisoner camp, and Aliki slips into her laments at the strangest times without much rhyme or reason. 

On almost all accounts, the book flounders until it limps to an end that doesn’t seem to do much. I recommend readers Bypass My Last Lament.

DNF at 30%. It's one of those cases of "It's not you, it's me" where I mean it - the book is beautifully written, but I just couldn't connect. I bet I know quite a few people who would love it, but it's just not for me.

Opening line:
"Now let me see, how do I turn this thing on?"

A tale from the last professional lamenter in Greece. Aliki led an uncertain, scary and disruptive life from the time the Germans came into her little village and shot her dad until years later when she grew into an older woman. 
She doesn't quite understand what she is seeing and the image of her father being killed follows and haunts her through her life. It's not too long before most of the children in the area are orphaned so Aliki and two boys band together to live and to find safety. They put on puppet shows to ear food and money. But fate does not leave them alone and the three are constantly on the run and looking over their shoulders. Aliki is determined to take care of the youngest boy through there are many times it would seem easiest to let him fend for himself. 
I admit I skimmed a few parts through out the book. The history of Greece during WWII was interesting and I learned a lot about that part of history I don't remember. 

Thank you to netgalley for the early read!

My Last Lament

by James William Brown

Ok, so I'm back on the "World War II books from rare perspectives"... is that a genre? This novel was not what I thought it was going to be, given the title, and the concept that the main character is one of the last remaining "lamenters" hired to mourn and celebrate a life in Greece. I was drawn to this idea, and the fact that attending a funeral and offering a eulogy is a paid position in some cultures. But this book's focus is not so narrow, and Aliki's lament is much longer than a funeral and more complicated. Telling her tale into a researcher's cassette recorder, Aliki describes an amazing journey, that is, in turn touching and almost barbaric. This is not the sweet tale the cover would have you imagine, there are events recalled here that are disturbing and decidedly lamentable. Aliki's voice is strong and her story is compelling, though the plot dragged at times and I didn't care about some of the characters I was probably supposed to be worried about or cheering on. But reading it, I could imagine I was in the company of an old soothsayer: wise, thought-provoking and perhaps a little controversial.


For Goodreads:

Why I picked it — I am dying to go to Greece, so a story set there, with such an interesting premise, hooked me.
Reminded me of… The format of the story was a throwback for me - reminded me of The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman - and by the way, the fact that I remembered that title, from a book I probably read a little after it came out (look it up), just made my day!
For my full review — click here

This started out with such promise to me.  A time that has been written about often, but this seemed to be a fresh perspective.  I was turned off by the book though with its long gaps of no action and annoying characters.  I took several breaks and convinced myself finally to slog through to the ending.  It had so much potential with its unique setting, and I loved reading the voice "recording."  But ultimately, this didn't intrigue me at all.

Sorry, I only made it about 7%. I found it really dull and don't have the patience or interest for it.

Young Aliki is a witness to her own father's execution at the hands of the Nazis and lives the rest of her childhood with a local woman and her son, Takis.  When the woman hides a Jewish woman and her son, Stelios, Aliki and Takis are exposed to the world of puppetry by Stelios.  The Nazis that occupy the Greek village learn of the Jews in the basement and they kill the women and the children must fend for themselves.  The children earn money by performing puppet shows for a country that is trying to heal itself after the devastation of World War II and the fall of the Nazis.

I usually like historical novels about World War II and the holocaust but this book just didn't do it for me.  I enjoyed the first third of the book but after the Germans left Greece, the story wasn't as interesting.  I think the story would have been better if the story was centered around Stelios and his mother hiding in the basement of Aliki's home but after that point, there was too much going on and it became a very slow read.  The puppetry seemed to take center stage when it was a less important topic of the book.  The characters were very developed and there was a great representation of mental illness in Takis but they couldn't make up for the lack of a great story.  I would recommend this book to someone who is interested in more about the aftereffects of World War II and doesn't mind that there is a lot of unimportant fluff.

A very atmospheric tale of a young girl growing up during WWII, German-occupied Greece. The story may seem sweet at times, but underneath runs both intense emotions and harrowing currents of violence and turmoil. This was a really enjoyable read, and I felt immersed in the story throughout the novel. Ailiki is such a strong woman, and I found a lot to learn from her as I read. I would definitely recommend this novel to anyone interested in coming-of-age stories or historical fiction.

This is the only book I have heard/read about where it takes place during World War 2 in Greece! I felt myself very invested. The writing was very realistic and I could picture the devastation that was going on and I was really intrigued on hearing what was on the tapes.

While a work of fiction I am sure that it closely recreates what occurred in Greece during and after WWII. It is a story about hardship, loss and hope. The author is able to make the reader feel they are living at that time and observing the events from the sidelines.

I have rated this book at 4.5 stars and recommend it for anyone who enjoys a good drama.

I received an ARC from Netgalley for my unbiased review.

I had very mixed reactions to this book set during WWII and during the post war years in Greece. As a girl, living in a small village, Aliki's father was killed by the Nazis. Aliki then went to live with Chrysoula and her young son, Takis. Takis becomes infatuated with Aliki as she mourns her father's death in silence. Interesting because as she gets older she will become a Lamenter, someone who sings dirges for the deceased. Aliki sings her own story into a tape recorder that an American researcher has left with her in order to learn about old Greek customs.

Also living with Chrysoula and Takis is a young Jewish man, Stelios, and his mother. I thought it a stretch that Chrysoula would be so open about their hiding in the basement, given the fact that Nazi soldiers were stationed in their town. But had they really been hiding, the story would not have happened. Stelios entertains the family with his shadow puppets while he and Aliki develop a relationship. While this was a bit of a stretch since he was very well educated, from Athens and his family had been somewhat wealthy, I'll let this one go. Chrysoula and Sophia are killed by the retreating Nazis and Takis is implicated.

While the two abandon Takis in the village, he eventually finds them. In addition to being jealous he has a mental disability that gets him in trouble. Nevertheless, Aliki feels a strong debt to him and persuades Stelios to keep him. After going to Athens where they put on shadow plays, they travel to an island where they know a tavern owner who will let them perform. 

During the post war years Greece was a very dangerous place. Before the Nazis entered, the king of Greece and his entourage had fled. Britain fought the Germans and stayed for a period of time to provide safety siding with the king. While the king was in exile, resistance fighters had been fighting the German army for years and after the war they did not give up their guns or support the king. Following the departure of the Nazis, Greece had a power vacuum. Many Resistance fighters had joined the Communist Party and they fought against the non-Communist Resistance fighters who had formed the National Republican Greek League. They fought from 1943-44. Stalin and Churchill got into the act with Churchill gaining power in Greece while Stalin won Romania. Though elections were held in 1946, the Greek people were divided and continued to fight until 1947 when the Americans got involved.

The Last Lament takes place amidst this fighting. When Stelios and Aniki go to Athens different neighborhoods are controlled by different factions. When the three go to the island, there are skirmishes there and Stelios is kidnapped by Communists and later jailed for being one. Certainly Takis' sickness would not have been able to be diagnosed or treated during these tumultuous times, and he becomes a mystery. He seems more to embody the strife and insanity that have descended on Greece than a real person. While I liked reading about the historical and folk ways of Greece, the story did not really hold together.

This book has so many layers of stories. I've never read a book set in Greece during wwll

My Last Lament was such an interesting novel. It's about Aliki, a young Greek girl who, during the Nazi invasion of Greece during WWII, witnesses her father's execution and must flee the region. She is joined by a Jewish refugee and her son. It is the story of Aliki's journey to safety and her journey through grief.

James William Brown's prose is absolutely beautiful and I flew through this book so quickly. The chapters are the recordings of cassette tapes, given to Aliki by an American researcher to document her "lament" and are titled Cassette 1: Side 1, Cassette 1: Side 2, etc. This was a little touch that made the story real for me as if I was sitting across from Aliki and listening to her recount in person.

I adored this novel so much. I enjoy reading fiction from the WWI and WWII era and Brown knocked this one out of the park.

*I received an advance reading copy from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. All opinions are my own.*

Robin's Reviews > My Last Lament

My Last Lament by James William Brown
My Last Lament 
by James William Brown (Goodreads Author) 
F 50x66
Robin's review May 05, 2017  ·  edit
liked it



READING PROGRESS
April 19, 2017 – Started Reading
May 5, 2017 – Finished Reading

Post a comment »COMMENTS (showing 1-1 of 1)
dateDown arrow    newest »
message 1: by Robin - rated it 3 stars 0 minutes ago
Robin I received this book for an honest review which is posted below.


In the Greek culture, when someone dies a lamenter stands in their shoes and a poem about their life is brought to mind as a farewell tribute. Aliki is one of the last lamenters and is approached by someone from an American University to interview her. The researcher leaves Aliki a tape recorder and several cassettes and Aliki ends up recording the story of her life. 

During her youth and early adulthood, Greece is occupied by the Germans and she along with her family and many other characters live through the terrible occupation of Greece during and after WWII and the civil wars afterwards. 

There is much tragedy in this book but it is also interesting to learn about Greece during this time period.

I thought that reading about the custom of lamenting would be fascinating and this is what drew me to this book. At first I was disappointed that it wasn't in itself what this book seemed to be about. But I became captivated because this book is about a facet of WWII that was new to me - the impact of it on Greece both during the Nazi occupation and then after the war.  In all of the books I have read about WWII, I don't remember coming across the perspective from Greece and I found this certainly was a learning experience, but also a very moving story of a woman whose past life was caught in this history. 

Aliki is the "last professional lamenter " in her village , "a composer of dirge-poems called microligia, chanted at wakes and such." "...I don't really compose them . I seem to fall into a kind of state and they really compose themselves and just pour through me like a long sigh. It's an old village custom..." The narrative moved back and forth in time between the Nazi occupation, the aftermath of the war to the present where she is an old woman. She's given a tape recorder by a student researcher interested in her lamenting but spends most of her time telling her story, her past, so as it turns out and as the title suggests Aliki gives us her lament, not the dirge poem but her story - lamenting her losses, and hardships. 

The German occupation, executions including Aliki's father's that as a teenage girl she witnesses, a brave woman who hides a Jewish mother and her son, a story that makes us reconsider who family is. These  are some of the threads of the story. It's a love story too and it also touches on mental illness not yet named, the hardship of hunger during the war and after with the conflicts that occurred . All of this made for a moving story . 

I wasn't expecting the humor I found here with the women of the village trading insults and laughing while in the midst of the occupation and dire shortages of food . I loved the puppet shows which depicted such an art of story telling by Stelios , the Jewish boy in hiding and how he taught Aliki and Takis. Overall a solid 3+ stars . Recommended to those interested in WWII stories and interested in another perspective, that of the Greek people. 


I received an advanced copy of this book from Berkeley Publishing Group through NetGalley.