NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “A novel to cure your Downton Abbey withdrawal . . . a delightful story about nontraditional romantic relationships, class snobbery and the everybody-knows-everybody complications of living in a small community.”—The Washington PostThe bestselling author of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand returns with a breathtaking novel of love on the eve of World War I that reaches far … of love on the eve of World War I that reaches far beyond the small English town in which it is set.
NAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST AND NPR
East Sussex, 1914. It is the end of England’s brief Edwardian summer, and everyone agrees that the weather has never been so beautiful. Hugh Grange, down from his medical studies, is visiting his Aunt Agatha, who lives with her husband in the small, idyllic coastal town of Rye. Agatha’s husband works in the Foreign Office, and she is certain he will ensure that the recent saber rattling over the Balkans won’t come to anything. And Agatha has more immediate concerns; she has just risked her carefully built reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to replace the Latin master.
When Beatrice Nash arrives with one trunk and several large crates of books, it is clear she is significantly more freethinking—and attractive—than anyone believes a Latin teacher should be. For her part, mourning the death of her beloved father, who has left her penniless, Beatrice simply wants to be left alone to pursue her teaching and writing.
But just as Beatrice comes alive to the beauty of the Sussex landscape and the colorful characters who populate Rye, the perfect summer is about to end. For despite Agatha’s reassurances, the unimaginable is coming. Soon the limits of progress, and the old ways, will be tested as this small Sussex town and its inhabitants go to war.
Praise for The Summer Before the War
“What begins as a study of a small-town society becomes a compelling account of war and its aftermath.”—Woman’s Day
“This witty character study of how a small English town reacts to the 1914 arrival of its first female teacher offers gentle humor wrapped in a hauntingly detailed story.”—Good Housekeeping
“Perfect for readers in a post–Downton Abbey slump . . . The gently teasing banter between two kindred spirits edging slowly into love is as delicately crafted as a bone-china teacup. . . . More than a high-toned romantic reverie for Anglophiles—though it serves the latter purpose, too.”—The Seattle Times
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Wonderful
This is on my double-read list. When there are so many new books coming out every single day, you know a book has to be special to get a second reading. I adore this novel, which is set in a small English town in the days leading up, as well as the early years of, the Great War. The characters are charming, the romance is swoon-worthy, the backstories are clever and at times, tragic. I consider this a must-read!
There’s so much to love about this story! As it began, I thought it only a light-hearted, easy-paced tale in the spirit of Lark Rise to Candleford or Cranford. Then once I made it through the beginning desultory yet charming chapters and war began affecting the people of the village, the real drama began. I loved that the older couple—the bedrock of the family—though high born, were not wastrels & cheats involved in tawdry plots as in so many British novels. They were a charity-minded woman and her tender, quiet-spoken husband, who was so humble few in the village realized his powerful position in the government. Yes, the novel contained gossips, bullies, and cruel, clueless aristocrats. But so many people in the village were kind. And who could not love the brave, noble Beatrice and the practical, always-to-be-counted-on, understated hero, Hugh? This story brought chuckles & tears throughout & then sighs at the satisfying, hopeful ending. Talented author. Wonderful narrator. (No language. Disturbing topics not described & handled delicately.) Highly recommend!!
I have to admit this book wasn’t what I thought based on the title. I pictured a pre WW1 English town where the young people were gathering for parties and dances, the upper class brushing with the working class, falling in love with all the wrong people, then the war changes everything.
Instead, it’s about the people of a small town, their lives and expectations and how things change with the war. The war scenes and storyline is powerful and intriguing and I was cheering for everyone as the book drew to a satisfying conclusion. Loved, loved this story. Simonson is a talented and lyrical writer.
This was a well written book very well done.
Beatrice arrives at a small village of Rye in Kent to be the new Latin instructor in the months leading up to the start of WW1, and settles into its community of quirky characters. The Rye setting is painted in painstakingly vivid strokes—not through breathtaking descriptions of sheer cliffs, jagged mountains, or frothing seas, but by nuance in the colors, shapes and smells of greenery, furniture, food and local peculiarities. The characters come to life, often with backstory that breaths depth into major characters, and through prose that brings to mind Downton Abbey with sharp distinctions in the classes often drawn in speech, dress, and behaviors. The jealousies, despair, triumphs, politics, and eccentricities that are the bedrock of the village roll-out in a leisurely pace in the first eighty percent of the book, but with a satisfying rhythm that kept me turning pages. The war started and the urgency matched the gravity of army situations the characters found themselves in, with tension heightened by the contrast with earlier village scenes. This book has a heavy page count, but dig in for fifty pages and just try to put it down before you find out if the girl gets her man and collects her inheritance!
Was this review helpful? I am an avid world war based fiction reader and author. You can read more of my takes at https://brodiecurtis.com/curtis-takes/.
This book doesn’t have quite the compelling story line that “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand” does, but this is still one seriously brilliant writer! Some of her moments are sheer poetry, and the World War I setting is often very eloquent. Some of the conversations do have a Broadway-type hoity-toity element to them, in the literary vein of “Little Women” (my wife and I dub this “Aaron Sorkin-ism), but if you overlook all the forsooths, it just adds to the charm. The last third of the book is can’t-put-it-down good; the scene where a petty and irate officer wants to summarily execute an underage soldier plainly suffering from PTSD is chilling drama.
It’s a wonderful novel . You will wish for it to never end. It’s filled with the conversations and activities of family and friends. It’s like a small village always growing with new comers. Not newcomers with flawless lives but people who are for maybe the first time running to save themselves from true monsters in the dark.
By the time the war front is reached, your heart is tender with love. For there is one young Latin student who will stand courageously for every man and woman in succeeding wars.Helen Simonson’s “The Summer Before The War” is timeless.
A lengthy but interesting book about a time of peace before a very harrowing war. The setting is based in East Sussex in 1914 with characters vibrating with depth and innocence as the new teacher comes to town. Watching the Summer unfold in a serene town gives the reader a feeling of hope only to realize that the world will turn upside down when the summer is over.
I loved the cast of characters and the intertwining of their stories. It’s a sweet read but with unexpected tragic twists. I loved it.
While I like learning abou the build up to WWI, I found the book tedious.
I loved how Elizabeth Gaskell-esque this book was. I adored the realism of the characters – flawed but loveable.
Nice story.
Tradition. Hypocrisy. Friendship. Love. Freedom.
The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson takes place in the small town of Rye in East Sussex, England just as World War I was beginning. The heaviness of war looms over the town so full of its own virtue that it fails to see its own hypocrisy. Sometimes it takes a stranger to uncover certain truths.
Enter Beatrice Nash. Beatrice is a young woman who moves in to start a new life as a Latin teacher after losing her beloved father. She is given a warm welcome by one of the town’a matriarchs: Agatha Kent, the wife of a government official and the aunt of two interesting young men: Hugh (an intelligent surgeon in training) and Daniel (an irreverent poet). Agatha immediately connects with Beatrice. Beyond their age difference, they are much alike: strong, smart women who respect tradition and social customs. But when tradition begins to conflict with social justice, this respect is tested at every corner.
Simonsen delicately paints a picture of a small town and all of its contradictions. Welcoming, quaint, and not as tolerant as it likes to believe. When Belgium refugees come to town, a wave of sympathy creates a swarm of hospitality for the desolate group. Language barriers are overcome with compassion. Beatrice points out that Celeste (a refuge under her care) probably doesn’t understand English. The maid wisely responds that it doesn’t matter. “Just a kind voice in the dark is all we want most times.” But when an awful secret is discovered about the young Celeste, the town turns its back on the girl. Unfortunately, this won’t be the only bias Beatrice will observe or experience. Issues such as proper behavior, the appropriate place of women, and lack of opportunity for certain social classes infiltrate the story until the war comes – when the small town conflicts are overshadowed. Doing the right thing becomes a matter of life and death.
There are many endearing characters in this story. Free-thinking writers. Ambitious students plagued by their social class. There is a clear division between the young and the old. And, of course, there are models of feminists in all classes who offer a quick wit and confidence. Often, these confidences are challenged in the name of tradition. Beatrice’s spirits wanes when she discovers her father’s follies and her dream of becoming a serious writer is undermined because of her gender. But her faith and determination lay the groundwork for good.
There are many beautifully-written passages throughout the story. This description of a schoolroom reflects how effortless Simonsen weaves imagery, characterization, and metaphor:
“The schoolroom called to her as if it were the sweet voice of civilization itself, summoning her to the white marble halls where poetry and mathematics, painting and song all echoed together in peaceful harmony.”
Everything in the passage above juxtaposes the war.
Within the framework of all of war-borne incidents are love stories – the most evident between Beatrice and Hugh. Witty banter serves as a playful reprieve from the heavy issues surrounding the story. Simonson didn’t need these love stories to make the novel compelling. But I, for one, love a romance. And nothing elevates the passion of a romance like war. And nothing elevates the cruelty of war like a romance as told here:
“That some should sit mourning in a drawing room, or smoothing the brow of a dying boy, while in a cottage on a cobbled street, two young lovers could only choose to stand against the shocking burden of death and loss with their love and their passion.”
I picked up this book because I loved Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand. Perhaps this author resonates with me because she so perfectly captures the idiosyncrasies of small town life. But Helen Simonson is also an intricate storyteller who can cleverly expound a moral tale without preaching. Don’t think of this book as another war story. It’s much more. It’s a great tale of tolerance and freedom – freedom to create a life that matters even in the throes of war… or small-towns.
This book draws you in. You can’t help but feel like you’re part of the town in this pre-world War one book which focuses on a twenty-something woman who is trying to make it as a teacher in a new town.
Good view into the history of early 20th century.
Loved the portrayal of Britain before the war. Many interesting characters and wonderful prose. This is a slice of history and time that I know little about; it was very informative of that period.
Didn’t finish reading which is rare for me. The premise is interesting but the story line didn’t deliver for me.
Good character and situational development. Good representation of the times. Sometimes it was too wordy which became frustrating and unnecessary.
This is a summer before the Great War novel. Fans of Downton Abbey will enjoy.