Although I love novels-in-verse, it was refreshing to read three new novels where the poetic language is incorporated in a more traditional structure. In all three books the female protagonist has a passion for writing, but that talent is integrated into a story with a further reaching conflict. One Great Lie by Printz Honoree Deb Caletti (A Heart in a Body in a World) is set in Venice and explores the misogyny experienced by female writers over the ages. Words Composed of Sea and Sky by Erica George finds an aspiring Cape Cod teen poet investigating the life of a nineteenth century female author whose poetry is attributed to the town's fabled sea captain. Love in English by Maria Andreu incorporates the struggles of a teen poet who has just emigrated from Argentina to New Jersey. All of these young women experience road blocks to their dreams of becoming writers.
In One Great Lie budding writer Charlotte Hodges wins a scholarship to a summer writing program in Venice, run by her favorite author Luca Bruni. She aspires to "write something that says something" and is sure she can succeed with his help. She also wants to investigate her Venetian ancestor, Isabella di Angelo, a Renaissance writer whose book of poetry includes a poem which had been published by her lover, a world famous writer, as his own. When Charlotte arrives at Bruni's villa on La Calamita, a private island that once housed plague victims, she is at once charmed by Luca's brilliance, but disturbed by his over-familiarity with his female students. Even though Charlotte meets and falls in love with Dante, a young art conservation student, who helps her research Isabella, she can't shake her desire to impress Luca Bruni, but it comes with a price. Reflecting on the sexual harassment Isabella and other young women experienced as they were put in convents, yet were abused by well-to-do men in power, Charlotte begins to think that things haven't changed that much for women. Isabella and Charlotte's intertwined stories are filled with suspense as Charlotte struggles to vindicate her relative and stand up to the sexual harassment she herself experiences. Each chapter begins with information about a female poet from the Italian Renaissance who despite her accomplishments, has been forgotten or is only remembered for her connection to a man.
In alternating chapters Words Composed of Sea and Sky tells the story of a modern day teen poet and her nineteenth century inspiration. Michaela Dunn hopes to attend Winslow College where her deceased father had been an English professor. She is determined to attend a poetry workshop weekend at the college, but her stepfather balks at the price. When a poetry competition, which awards the winner full tuition to the workshop, is announced, she is sure it is the answer to her prayers. The poem must focus on the town's fabled whaler poet, Captain Benjamin Churchill, and will be engraved on a statue which is being unveiled in the town square. In researching the captain's life, Michaela discovers the journal of Leta Townsend, his would-be lover, which inspires her to write her poem from Leta's point of view. The story moves to Leta and Michaela's alternating voices with each segment being narrated from present-tense first-person points of view. Each woman is balancing her creative aspirations with a love triangle. Leta has been publishing under the name Ben Churchill, a whaler who was presumed dead at sea. When he reappears, complications ensue, especially with Elijah Pearce, her best friend who has proposed. Michaela's situation mirrors Leta's in that she is struggling with her feelings for Caleb, a callous poet who is competing against her in the competition, and Finn Pearce, her school's star baseball pitcher. This two-for-one romance is peppered with poems both women have written, as well as lyrical descriptions of the Cape Cod setting. The dual narratives blend beautifully as the reader roots for the women to succeed with their writing, as well as their love lives.
Love in English introduces Ana, a poet and lover of words who emigrates with her mother from Argentina to New Jersey to join her father. She struggles with his edict that they speak only English at home, as well as missing her friends and homeland. As she begins to settle in and make friends, including Gracie, a Spanish speaking lesbian "influencer," Harrison, a cute All-American boy she helps with math, and Neo, a Greek Cypriot in her ESL class, she becomes more optimistic about the future. She writes quirky poems about learning the ins and out of the English language, especially the multiple pronunciations and meanings for words, as well as idioms like "the elephant in the room," which add humor throughout the novel. The story explores Ana's experiences as a documented immigrant and effectively puts the reader in her shoes as she navigates the complexities of American culture and, of course, the love triangle between herself, Harrison and Neo. The author is basing Ana's experiences on her own as an immigrant teen, giving the narrative a feeling of authenticity and charm.
