In Memoriam

In Memoriam (2023) is a historical fiction novel by Alice Winn. The novel tells the story of two young men, Sidney Ellwood and Henry Gaunt, who attend boarding school together in England in 1914. Although unaware of each other’s feelings, the two are in love, having repressed their feelings due to the prominent anti-gay bias within their society. The two enlist to fight in World War I shortly after their 18th birthdays. The novel follows their journeys throughout the war and the complexities of their feelings for each other, exploring themes of Societal Stigma Toward Gay Relationships, The Impact of War, and Personal Desire Versus Societal Expectation. In Memoriam is Winn’s debut novel and won the Waterstones Debut Fiction Prize and the Waterstones Novel of the Year Award. 

This guide refers to the 2024 hardcover edition published by Alfred A. Knopf.

Content Warning: The source text and this guide discuss anti-gay bias, death by suicide, wartime violence, death, and war trauma.

Plot Summary

Henry Gaunt and Sidney Ellwood are 17-year-old students at Preshute boarding school in England in 1914. The two have secretly loved each other for years, but due to anti-LGBTQ+ bias in English society, they have avoided telling each other, instead having sexual relationships with other boys and ignoring their feelings.