By Helen Simonson
The Summer Before the
War is a slow burning story of the inhabitants of Rye, England at the
outbreak of World War I. Despite the
threat of war, in typical British style, the inhabitants of Rye keep calm and
carry on. Focusing on the everyday lives
of civilians, The Summer Before the War follows
a cast of diverse characters as they juggle their everyday lives with the
knowledge that death is just around the corner.
These interesting characters all center on Agatha, a formidable
matriarch in the small town of Rye. She has much more immediate concerns than
war, like the reputation of a young Latin teacher she has taken under her wing.
Beatrice Nash, penniless and alone, is ready to live out the rest of her life
in spinsterhood as a Latin professor. With Agatha’s help, she settles into her
new job while war threatens to draw away her young students.
War looms greater still when Belgian refugees are brought to
Rye for safety. The reception of refugees was eerily reminiscent of recent
refugee crises. While some people are
very open to hosting, there is some hostility among the townsfolk. Hostility or no, the traumas suffered by the
refugees brought a new understanding of the war to Rye. As such, Agatha’s two
nephews, a poet and a surgeon, start to feel the call to duty.
This book definitely grew on me. It starts rather slowly,
setting up all the characters and the dynamics of the town; however, by the
second half I was desperate to read the next chapter (and the next, and the
next!). Strong female leads, a touch of
romance, and British resilience are all on full display, making for an
enjoyable and informative read just in time for Remembrance Day.
Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy The Summer before the War for its wide range of characters from
different social classes. Both stories delve into how the Great War affected
civilian lives in small town Britain, one focusing on before the war, the other
focusing on after it!
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