Gods in Manhattan Net

In December 1942, the gods Aphrodite, Ares, Hephaestus, Apollo, and Hades gather in a Manhattan hotel room, caught in a golden net of Hephaestus's making. Hephaestus, the wronged husband, demands a trial for Aphrodite's infidelity with Ares. But Aphrodite, goddess of love, proposes a different kind of evidence: stories of mortal love during the Great War. The gods, each representing facets of human experience—love, war, art, death, and craft—become both jury and audience as Aphrodite weaves together tales of passion, loss, and endurance, challenging the gods' understanding of love and mortality.

Hazel and James: First Dance

In 1917 London, Hazel Windicott, a reserved and talented pianist, meets James Alderidge, a gentle, earnest young man about to ship out to the Western Front. Their connection is immediate and electric, sparked by music and a shared sense of being outsiders. Their first dance at a parish social is awkward, sweet, and transformative, setting the stage for a romance that will be tested by war, distance, and the looming threat of loss. Their brief, intense courtship is marked by stolen moments, letters, and the ache of impending separation.

Letters Across the Channel

As James departs for France, he and Hazel sustain their budding love through a flurry of letters. Their words are filled with longing, humor, and the small details of daily life, bridging the chasm of war. Hazel, restless and inspired by James's courage, volunteers for the YMCA, determined to contribute to the war effort and be closer to him. Their letters become lifelines, offering hope and connection amid uncertainty, even as the realities of war begin to intrude on their innocence.

Aubrey's Ragtime Dream

Aubrey Edwards, a gifted Black pianist from Harlem, finds his calling in music, performing with James Reese Europe's Clef Club Orchestra at Carnegie Hall and later enlisting in the 15th New York National Guard—the Harlem Hellfighters. Facing racism and segregation, Aubrey's journey takes him from the vibrant world of New York jazz to the tense, segregated camps of the American army in France. Music is his solace and his rebellion, and his path soon intersects with Hazel and Colette, as well as with Colette Fournier, a Belgian singer scarred by war.

War's Shadow Falls

James's arrival at the Front is a baptism by fire. The camaraderie of his fellow soldiers—Mason, Nutley, Browning—offers some comfort, but the horrors of trench warfare, gas attacks, and the constant threat of death change him. He becomes a sniper, forced to kill to survive, and the weight of his actions begins to haunt him. Meanwhile, Hazel's work in the relief huts exposes her to the suffering of soldiers and the complexities of race and class among the American troops.

Colette's Loss, Colette's Song

Colette Fournier's idyllic life in Dinant is shattered when German soldiers massacre her family and destroy her village. Fleeing to France, she reinvents herself as a YMCA volunteer, pouring her grief into music and friendship. Her bond with Hazel is immediate and deep, and her growing connection with Aubrey—fueled by their shared love of music and mutual wounds—offers both hope and fear. Colette's story is one of survival, guilt, and the search for meaning after unimaginable loss.

Love in the Trenches

Hazel and James's love endures through letters, brief reunions, and the ever-present specter of death. Their meeting in Paris is a moment of joy and vulnerability, as James confesses the toll the war has taken on him. Their time together is fleeting but profound, culminating in promises and a kiss that sustains them through the darkest days. Meanwhile, Aubrey and Colette's relationship deepens, complicated by the dangers of interracial love and the violence that stalks Black soldiers even far from home.

Segregated Bands, Shared Longing

Aubrey's experiences with the Harlem Hellfighters band highlight both the power of music to uplift and the persistent racism of the American military. The band's performances in France introduce jazz to Europe and offer moments of joy amid chaos. Yet, Aubrey and his comrades face threats from white soldiers, culminating in violence and loss. Aubrey's grief over the murder of his friend Joey, and his guilt for surviving, threaten to consume him, even as Colette's love offers a path toward healing.

Paris: Reunion and Confession

Hazel and James's reunion in Paris is a brief respite from war, filled with tenderness, laughter, and the pain of confession. James reveals the burden of his actions as a sniper, and Hazel responds with compassion, lighting candles for each life lost. Their love is tested but endures, grounded in honesty and acceptance of each other's scars. Colette and Aubrey, too, find solace in each other, their music and affection a defiant answer to the world's cruelty.

The Battle Within

The war's violence leaves deep wounds. James suffers shell shock after a devastating battle, haunted by the loss of his friend Mason and the horrors he has witnessed. Hazel, injured in a train bombing, is left with physical scars that challenge her sense of self-worth. Aubrey, traumatized by Joey's death and the racism he faces, withdraws from Colette, believing he brings only pain. Colette, fearing she is cursed to lose everyone she loves, nearly gives up hope. Each must confront their own darkness to find a way forward.

Shattered, Scarred, Surviving

Hazel and James, both changed by war and injury, struggle to reconnect. Hazel's facial scars and James's psychological wounds threaten to keep them apart, but their love proves resilient. With the help of friends and family, they learn to accept each other's brokenness and build a new life together. Aubrey and Colette, after months of silence and longing, are reunited in Paris, their love rekindled by honesty and shared grief. Music, memory, and forgiveness become their tools for survival.

Music, Memory, and Healing

As the war ends, the characters find meaning in music, memory, and the bonds they have forged. Aubrey and Colette pursue their dreams in Harlem, facing new challenges but refusing to be defined by prejudice or loss. Hazel and James marry, build a family, and find joy in ordinary moments. The scars they carry—visible and invisible—become symbols of endurance and love. The gods, having witnessed these mortal stories, are moved to reconsider their own understanding of love, imperfection, and the value of mortality.

Aftermath and Armistice

The armistice brings relief and celebration, but also the daunting task of rebuilding lives and societies. The Harlem Hellfighters return home as heroes, yet face continued racism and violence. Hazel and James, Colette and Aubrey, and their families navigate a world forever changed by war. Their stories are testaments to the resilience of love and the necessity of hope, even in the face of overwhelming loss.

Harlem Hellfighters' Homecoming

Aubrey and his fellow Black soldiers are celebrated in New York, their music and valor recognized at last. Yet, the murder of their bandleader, James Reese Europe, and the persistence of Jim Crow remind them that the fight for dignity and justice is far from over. Aubrey and Colette persevere, building a life and career together, their love a quiet revolution against the world's hatred.

Love's Scars, Love's Strength

Hazel and James, Colette and Aubrey, bear the scars of war, but their love endures. Their marriages, families, and creative pursuits are shaped by the pain and beauty of their experiences. The gods, too, are changed by the stories they have witnessed, recognizing that true love is forged in vulnerability, loss, and the willingness to embrace imperfection.

The Gods Reflect

As dawn breaks over Manhattan, the gods reflect on the stories they have heard. Hephaestus and Aphrodite, once estranged, find a new understanding of love's power and fragility. The gods, for all their immortality, envy the mortals' capacity for passion, sacrifice, and growth. The tales of Hazel, James, Aubrey, and Colette become a testament to the enduring, transformative power of love—even, and especially, in times of war.

Characters

Hazel Windicott

Hazel is a reserved, musically gifted young woman from working-class London. Her initial shyness masks a deep well of empathy and quiet strength. Through her love for James, she finds the courage to step beyond her comfort zone, volunteering for the YMCA and facing the dangers of war. Hazel's journey is marked by growth from timidity to resilience; she endures physical and emotional scars, yet her capacity for love and forgiveness only deepens. Her relationships—with James, Colette, and her family—are characterized by loyalty, honesty, and a refusal to let suffering define her. Hazel's arc is one of self-acceptance and the recognition that true beauty lies in compassion and endurance.

James Alderidge

James is earnest, kind, and quietly ambitious, with dreams of building a better world as an architect. The war transforms him from an idealistic youth into a man marked by trauma and loss. As a sniper, he is forced to confront the moral cost of survival, and his experiences leave him with deep psychological wounds—shell shock, guilt, and grief. James's love for Hazel is both his anchor and his vulnerability; he fears that his brokenness will make him unworthy of her. His journey is one of learning to accept help, to forgive himself, and to find hope in the possibility of healing and love after devastation.

Aubrey Edwards

Aubrey is charismatic, talented, and fiercely ambitious, determined to make his mark as a musician despite the racism and segregation of his era. His humor and confidence mask a deep sensitivity to injustice and loss. Aubrey's experiences with the Harlem Hellfighters expose him to both the exhilaration of artistic achievement and the brutality of prejudice, culminating in the traumatic murder of his friend Joey. His relationship with Colette is a source of both joy and fear, as he grapples with the risks of interracial love. Aubrey's arc is one of resilience, as he learns to channel his pain into music and to believe in the possibility of happiness despite the world's cruelty.

Colette Fournier

Colette is a survivor of atrocity, having lost her entire family in the German massacre of Dinant. Her grief is profound, but she refuses to be defined by victimhood. Through her work as a YMCA volunteer and her friendship with Hazel, she finds purpose and connection. Colette's relationship with Aubrey is both a balm and a risk, challenging her to open herself to love again. Her music is an expression of both her sorrow and her hope. Colette's journey is one of reclaiming agency, learning to forgive herself for surviving, and daring to believe in a future shaped by love rather than loss.

Hephaestus

Hephaestus, god of fire and forge, is physically and emotionally scarred, feeling unworthy of Aphrodite's love. His jealousy and pain drive the narrative frame, but through the stories of mortal love, he comes to understand the value of vulnerability and imperfection. Hephaestus's arc is one of self-acceptance and the realization that love is not about possession or perfection, but about the willingness to be seen and to see others truly.

Aphrodite

Aphrodite is both narrator and participant, guiding the gods and the reader through the interwoven love stories of mortal love. She is passionate, cunning, and deeply invested in the fates of her charges. Yet, for all her power, she is isolated by her perfection, unable to experience the very love she inspires. Aphrodite's envy of mortal vulnerability and her longing for genuine connection drive her to orchestrate the trial as a means of teaching the gods—and herself—about the true nature of love.

Ares

Ares is brash, proud, and dismissive of sentiment, seeing love as a distraction from the glory of battle. Yet, as the stories unfold, he is forced to confront the cost of his domain—the suffering, loss, and trauma inflicted on mortals. Ares's rivalry with Hephaestus and his affair with Aphrodite are both expressions of his insecurity and his desire for validation. Ultimately, he is left unsettled by the realization that love, not war, is the force that endures.

Apollo

Apollo, god of music and poetry, serves as both commentator and participant, highlighting the role of art in survival and healing. He is charming, insightful, and occasionally vain, but his appreciation for mortal creativity and resilience is genuine. Apollo's presence underscores the importance of music and storytelling as means of resistance and remembrance.

Hades

Hades is grave, detached, and yet unexpectedly compassionate. As the god who receives the dead, he is intimately acquainted with loss, but he also recognizes the beauty in mortal striving. Hades's interactions with the other gods reveal a deep respect for the courage of those who love in the face of death. His role is to remind both gods and mortals that all stories end, but that meaning is found in how they are lived.

Frank Mason

Frank is James's closest comrade in the trenches, a source of wisdom, humor, and support. His death is a pivotal moment for James, forcing him to confront the randomness and cruelty of war. Frank's memory haunts James, but also inspires him to seek healing and to honor the bonds of friendship and love.

Plot Devices

Framing Narrative: The Gods' Trial

The novel is structured as a story-within-a-story, with the Greek gods serving as narrators, commentators, and participants. The trial of Aphrodite by Hephaestus provides a mythic frame that allows for reflection on the nature of love, war, art, and death. This device enables the author to juxtapose the immortals' detachment with the intensity of mortal experience, highlighting the value of vulnerability and impermanence.

Interwoven Love Stories

The central plot weaves together two love stories—Hazel and James, Aubrey and Colette—set against the backdrop of World War I. Their narratives intersect through shared locations, friendships, and the universal challenges of love in wartime. The dual romances allow for exploration of themes of race, class, trauma, and resilience, while emphasizing the diversity of human experience.

Letters and Music

Letters serve as both plot device and symbol, sustaining relationships across distance and danger. Music, too, is a recurring motif, representing both the power of art to heal and the persistence of beauty amid destruction. The use of real historical figures and events—such as the Harlem Hellfighters and James Reese Europe—grounds the narrative in historical reality while enriching its emotional resonance.

Foreshadowing and Irony

The gods' commentary, the ever-present threat of war, and the characters' own anxieties create a sense of foreboding. The narrative frequently foreshadows loss, yet also subverts expectations through moments of grace and survival. Irony is used to highlight the absurdity of war and the unpredictability of fate.

Scars as Symbol

The motif of scarring—Hazel's facial injuries, James's psychological trauma, Aubrey's grief, Colette's survivor's guilt—serves as a symbol of the lasting impact of war and the possibility of growth through suffering. The acceptance of scars, both by oneself and by others, becomes a central theme, challenging conventional notions of beauty and worth.

Analysis

Lovely War is a sweeping, multi-layered novel that uses mythic framing to explore the human cost of World War I and the redemptive power of love and art. By intertwining the stories of two couples—one white, one Black—the novel confronts issues of racism, sexism, trauma, and the arbitrary cruelties of fate. The presence of the gods allows for a meta-narrative that interrogates the nature of storytelling itself, asking what it means to love, to suffer, and to endure. The book's central lesson is that love is not the absence of pain, but the willingness to embrace imperfection, vulnerability, and loss. Scars—whether physical, emotional, or societal—are not marks of failure, but of survival and transformation. In a world scarred by war, the acts of loving, creating, and remembering become forms of resistance and hope. The novel ultimately suggests that it is in our brokenness, not our perfection, that we find the capacity for true connection and meaning.

Last updated: April 29, 2025