CALL ME ATHENA: Girl from Detroit
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.
CALL ME ATHENA is my first experience of a novel in verse. I partially read, but mostly listened to the book, and I was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the experience. With a brevity of words, it takes skill to bring to life such a multi-layered story as this one, and for me, Colby Cedar Smith has succeeded.
The chosen narrators all did a great job, and Gail Shalan was outstanding. Her portrayal of Mary was perfect, showing us a young child teetering – or rather, being pushed – into the world of adulthood. I understood the young girl, still taking pleasure from simple things like riding a bike and a rare sweet treat. I felt her wonder and enjoyment as she experienced things for the first time. I felt her fear at a life she was facing due to her economic circumstances. I feel her hope in wanting a different life – one she has a say in.
This story mainly takes place in the 1930s in Detroit, a major industrial city in the USA, feeling the effects of the Great Depression. Jobs are disappearing, money is scarce, and there are no social safety nets. Not only is Mary’s family impoverished, she and her siblings have to cope with the pressure of cultural expectations, especially Mary and her sister, being the only two girls.
The story also flashes back to WWI, and in a mostly epistolary format, we learn about Mary’s parents, Gio and Jeanne. These letters seem like fantasy; they are far removed from the Gio and Jeanne that Mary lives with daily. The grind of everyday life, and never-ending hardship has shaped them into something unrecognisable from the people in those letters.
I was invested in Mary as a character, and there’s a part of me that hopes we get a continuation of her story.
Review copy courtesy of Netgalley, Andrews McMeel Publishing and Andrews McMeel Audio.
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