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

I loved this book. Written by the author of "Major Pettigrew" it takes place in Rye, a small town in East Sussex, in the summer of 1914 before the start of WWI. The sweet innocence of the times is brought to life when Beatrice Nash arrives to teach Latin to the students of Rye. Beatrice is a well educated woman who must make it on her own after the death of her academic father. She struggles against the strictures of her time to find a place.

For some reason, a woman teaching Latin is relatively shocking. I am not sure why as there are two other women teachers but for some reason Latin is a no-no. The story of her appointment to the job is one of the funniest scenes I've read in a long time. Beatrice, also, to everyone's horror rides a bicycle and is fiercely independent and competent. She's taken under the wing of a town leader, Agatha Kent, who becomes one of my very characters ever. She is so diplomatic, loving and full of life. Agatha has also raised two nephews, Hugh and Daniel, both interesting characters. In fact the town is full of interesting characters including the idiotic wife of the mayor.

The story is full of women trying to fly on their own wings and it is just 6 years later that American women got the right to vote. It is a time of great change and limits are being tested even in the small town of Rye. The town decides to help in the upcoming War effort by taking in Belgian refugees and are then horrified to discover families want to stay to together and not be parceled out one at a time. The wry humor is delightful. There is also a group of gypsies involved who had color to the story.

And as the year progresses, change comes slowly and painfully. Friendships are made and class barriers start to fall. Innocence is lost and things are never quite the same. It's a lovely, lovely story that so accurately describes the times (at least in my opinion) that it takes my breath away. It is a slow moving book in the way real life is. I loved every minute of it.

I highly recommend it.