THE SUMMER BEFORE THE WAR

This month's book discussion will revolve around Helen Simonson's The Summer Before the War.  This novel begins before the start of World War I in England.  As you read, you will follow the lives of Hugh Grange, Aunt Agatha, and Beatrice Nash.  Hugh is working on his medical studies, Agatha has just risked her reputation by pushing for the appointment of a woman to teach Latin at the school, and Beatrice has just arrived and must prove herself as the Latin teacher.  Just as you settle in with the characters and the world that Simonson has created, the inhabitants are faced with the realities of war.

Helen Simonson is the author of two novels:

Major Pettigrew's Last Stand
The Summer Before the War




If you are looking for something to read next, give one of these books a try.

The Dust That Falls From Dreams by Louis De Bernieres tells the story of a British family whose lives are shaped by World War I and its aftermath.

Falling Angels by Tracy Chevalier explores the changing time of the early 1900s.  You meet two girls from different social classes who grow up as the new King of England changes social customs and creates a more forward-thinking era.

Everyone Brave is Forgiven by Chris Cleave is set in London during the years of 1939-1942.  This story is inspired by the real-life love letters between the author's grandparent.

The First of July by Elizabeth Speller follows the lives of four men as their lives converge on the first day of the Battle of the Somme during World War I.

The Other Einstein by Marie Benedict takes a look at the life of Albert Einstein's wife, Mitza Maric, a brilliant and fascinating woman who was overshadowed by her husband's contributions to science.

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