The Summer Before the War: A Novel Paperback – February 21, 2017 by Helen Simonson (Random House Trade Paperbacks)

If you love elegant writing executed by a skilled author; if you love novels incorporating a rich, wide-ranging vocabulary; and if you simply love a good story, then you will find “The Summer Before the War” delightful. Helen Simonson reminds readers of simpler times when garden parties and afternoon tea were social events. Nevertheless, she does not shy away from serious topics – women’s suffrage, the limited opportunities for England’s working class, and, finally, the effects of World War I on those who fought and those who stayed behind.

“The Summer Before the War” provides an excellent portrait of the manners, mannerisms, and social milieu of early twentieth century England. Beatrice Nash, an educated young woman, has been engaged to teach Latin in Rye’s local grammar school. The daughter of a distinguished scholar, Beatrice is more educated than was common for a young woman during the period in which this novel takes place. When talking to her nephews and reflecting attitudes of the time, Agatha – Beatrice’s sponsor and the matriarch of the novel’s primary family – says of Beatrice “…I may be progressive, but I would never hire a pretty teacher …” Telling Beatrice that they must remain in the neighbor’s good graces. “…I’m afraid your independence, and my efforts in appointed office, both depend on our titled friend …” Hugh Grange, Agatha’s nephew and an aspiring surgeon, and his cousin Daniel Bookham, who is slated to go into the Foreign Office, have decidedly different viewpoints of Beatrice. Nevertheless, both are attracted to Beatrice.

When World War I breaks out, life for each of the characters changes in drastic, sometimes unforeseen ways. A surgeon on the front lines, Hugh longs for tranquility and a less chaotic world. “…The dream of acclaim and fortune …had been rendered insignificant and empty in the face of daily carnage …” Both Hugh and Daniel begin to understand their personal rivalry is insignificant when compared to world events. “…he thought it sad and strange that it would take a war to wipe away the cold formalities of life …” “War makes our needs so much smaller …In ordinary life, I never understood how much pleasure it gives me to see you …”

Characters drive the action and the emotion of “The Summer Before the War”; while war scenes are violent, they are not gratuitously descriptive. Focusing on the psychological impact of battles and wartime deprivation make this novel more relatable. Helen Simonson captures individual differences and class distinctions while maintaining a respect for each one of the characters. Some will develop and mature, some will emerge as cruel and callous individuals, and some will rise above their station to perform extraordinary deeds.

“The Summer Before the War” is a lengthy novel, but one that is worth your reading time. Language and situations are appropriate for ‘tween readers; the novel may provide some perspective on events surrounding World War I and British society during that era.