Call to Arms: Modern LGBTQ+ fiction of the Second World War

by Julie Bozza, Barry Brennessel, Charlie Cochrane

Seventeen stories, thirteen authors, a second war. Once again Manifold Press's writers explore the lives of LGBTQ+ people and their war-time experience in cities, towns and countryside across the world.

Amidst war and peace, in the thick of violence or in an unexpected lull, these stories of the Second World War take the reader far and wide: through Britain, Europe, Asia and South America, from loss and parting to love and homecoming. As for home, it may be an ordinary house, or a prison camp, or a ship: but it is, in the end, where you find it, however far you have to go. Read this book, and make the journey yourself.

Genres: Historical, Anthologies, LGBT, Fiction, M M Romance, Historical Fiction, War

256 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 28, 2017

About the author

Ordinary people are extraordinary. We can all aspire to decency, generosity, respect, honesty – and the power of love (all kinds of love!) can help us grow into our best selves.

I write stories about ‘ordinary’ people finding their answers in themselves and each other. I write about friends and lovers, and the families we create for ourselves. I explore the depth and the meaning, the fun and the possibilities, in ‘everyday’ experiences and relationships. I believe that embodying these things is how we can live our lives more fully.

Creative works help us each find our own clarity and our own joy. Readers bring their hearts and souls to reading, just as authors bring their hearts and souls to writing – and together we make a whole.

Julie Bozza. Quirky. Queer. Sincere.

Reviews

[Elena · Rating 4 out of 5]

Just like the volume that covers WWI, A Pride of Poppies, this anthology is a collection of shorts with LGBTQ+ characters—this time set during WWII—and, like the previous book, it’s sadly out of print after the publisher closed a couple of years ago. It’s especially a shame because these shorts are very good and they’re mostly consistently good, the quality levels remain high despite the many authors involved and that’s a rare thing for an anthology.

As with the first anthology, the stories are a mixed bag of happy and not-so-happy endings, although I had the impression this one had more “undetermined” endings compared to the other anthology. I’m not sure because my memory of the first few stories is a little hazy, since it took me more than a year to finish this book. When I went back to it at the beginning of the year, I was planning to refresh my memory once I finished the book, before I wrote my review. I was also planning to finish this book before I reached the one-year anniversary of the date I started it, but just as I was getting ready to do that, the world went crazy—or crazier—and I found myself unable to read about stories set during a World War, especially ones that didn’t have a guaranteed happy ending. I’m counting it as a victory that I’ve been finally able to get back to this and finish it, but rereading anything isn’t going to happen any time soon.
I liked this book a lot, I especially appreciated that some of the stories had German characters, although this didn’t have quite the same emotional impact on me as the previous book, which might be the reason I sometimes waited months before coming back to it. I can’t tell if that’s a reflection on the books or my mood and/or the different circumstances under which I read them.

With that caveat and to the best of my recollection, my favorite stories were An Affirming Flame by Jay Lewis Taylor, The Boy Left Behind by Eleanor Musgrove, The Man Who Loved Pigs by Megan Reddaway and Wild Flowers by J.L. Merrow. Mention of honor for Better to Die by Charlie Cochrane for not being what I expected at all.

War leaves its mark, on land and in minds.

[Kazza · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is another strong, poignant, well researched and edited anthology from Manifold Press, this time set amidst and around WWII. It follows on the back of their equally good WWI anthology, A Pride of Poppies.

So I am specific, because I do lean towards my fair share of gay romance, Call to Arms: Modern LGBTQ+ Fiction of the Second World War is queer fiction, not MM. A couple of characters return for a sequel here but I only know that because I just happened to remember them - it was nice to see they’re still happy - the rest were all new characters. There are some standout stories but across the board each short is strong and they span several countries, years, and letters within the rainbow alphabet. I would have loved more length with most of these stories but only because they’re so good. I was more than happy with most of them as they stood, although I wouldn’t complain if some found their way into longer novellas or novels in the future.

I really do love a good short story. If you can tell me a heartfelt tale in a limited word count I am in total awe, and that mission was well and truly accomplished. I also want to give mention to Heloise Mezen for meticulously compiling the anthology. I can’t recommend Call to Arms highly enough.

[Linda ~ they got the mustard out! ~ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So once again, breaking this anthology down to its various parts would mostly be me just summarizing the plot of each one, which would ruin the point of reading these for yourself. That said, while the stories here are still all good to great, I didn't feel the pull to read them as I did with A Pride of Poppies. I think that was more to do with my mood and the general 2020 blahness than anything else though.

All the stories here are 3 stars or higher. The way their edited and put together allow them to flow from one story to the next and has a feel of progressing throughout the war, with glimpses of life on the home front, the war front and POW camps. There was more focus on the British forces in this anthology than in the previous one, but we do get some glimpses inside Germany and even one on the Pacific Theater. The final story is quite a bit different from the others, taking place several years after the war but still very much about WWII and the men who fought in it.

My favorites were "An Affirming Flame" by Jay Lewis Taylor, "The Boy Left Behind" by Eleanor Musgrove, and "Across a Thousand Miles" by Barry Brennessel.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Few anthologies I've read are of such consistent quality as this collection. Naturally, some contributions appealed to me more than others, but each was, in it's own way, captivating. There is some fine short fiction here. I'm a reader easily tempted to skim when patience wears thin particularly with anthologies. Here there was nothing to skim. I never came close to the temptation.

I'm also struck by the balance among the selections: the gentle hand of the editor makes the collection feel curated. Even if there are many writers involved, there are themes that bind the stories together. It does what I think a good anthology should: create a sum that's greater than it's parts.

[WhatAStrangeDuck · Rating 4 out of 5]

All anthologies are a mixed bag but this one here has a lot of really, really good stories.

Recommended.

[BevS · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars. Another book I've had buried in my TBR mountain since 2018!! Terrific collection of stories; some authors I am already familiar with including Jay Lewis Taylor, Elin Gregory and of course Charlie Cochrane...others I will be following up on.

[Lou Faulkner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Here's a wide range of excellent stories, from the plaintive to the near-pastoral, from dangerous undertaking to ghost story, and with many other genres as well. Many of the stories have the theme of escape, of relief from persecution, which the book's charity espouses. Well worth the reading.

[Yvonne · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought I had reviewed this lovely anthology, but apparently not so will have to come back to that.

[Marlobo ♥ epilogues · Rating 4 out of 5]

An Affirming Flame by Jay Lewis Taylor - 3.5 stars

Extraordinary Duties by Elin Gregory - 4 stars

The Boy Left Behind by Eleanor Musgrove - 3.5 stars

The Man Who Loved Pigs by Megan Reddaway - 3 stars

We Live Without a Future by Julie Bozza - 3 stars

A Life to Live by R.A. Padmos - 3.5 stars

The Town of Titipu by Adam Fitzroy - DNF

A Cup of Tea by Sandra Lindsey - 3 stars

Letters by Eleanor Musgrove - 3.5 stars

Buttercup by Jay Lewis Taylor - 3.5 stars

Between Friends by Sandra Lindsey - 2 stars

From Air to There by Michelle Peart - 3.5 stars

We're Out of Hero Fabric by Andrea Demetrius - 2 stars

See by Adam Fitzroy - 3.5 stars

Across a Thousand Miles by Barry Brennessel - 2 stars

Wild Flowers by JL Merrow - 3 stars

Better to Die by Charlie Cochrane - 3.5 stars