Books n' Brew

Lovely War by Julie Berry

We read variety of genres and meet at McCarty Mills Taproom one Wednesday a month to socialize, discuss books, and enjoy libations! February's selection: Lovely War by Julie Berry.

The Books n' Brew Book Discussion group meets at McCarty Mills Taproom, a relaxed setting to socialize, discuss books, and enjoy libations. McCarty Mills Taproom is at 140 S. River St., Unit 108, across the street from the Santori Library, and food/drink is available for purchase. For adults 19+.

Books are selected by the group or facilitating librarian, and copies are available on the 3rd floor of the Santori Public Library and at the West Branch Library Reference Desk. Contact Cesar Ortega at cortega@aurorapubliclibrary.org or call 630/264-3612 for more information. 

We will be discussing Lovely War by Julie Berry:

It's 1917, and World War I is at its zenith when Hazel and James first catch sight of each other at a London party. She's a shy and talented pianist; he's a newly minted soldier with dreams of becoming an architect. When they fall in love, it's immediate and deep--and cut short when James is shipped off to the killing fields.

Aubrey Edwards is also headed toward the trenches. A gifted musician who's played Carnegie Hall, he's a member of the 15th New York Infantry, an all-African-American regiment being sent to Europe to help end the Great War. Love is the last thing on his mind. But that's before he meets Colette Fournier, a Belgian chanteuse who's already survived unspeakable tragedy at the hands of the Germans.

Thirty years after these four lovers' fates collide, the Greek goddess Aphrodite tells their stories to her husband, Hephaestus, and her lover, Ares, in a luxe Manhattan hotel room at the height of World War II. She seeks to answer the age-old question: Why are Love and War eternally drawn to one another? But her quest for a conclusion that will satisfy her jealous husband uncovers a multi-threaded tale of prejudice, trauma, and music and reveals that War is no match for the power of Love.