UID:
kobvindex_ZLB16314648
Edition:
Unabridged
ISBN:
9781101888605
,
9781101888605
Content:
" NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER &bull,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.—,i〉The Washington PostNAMED ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR BY THE WASHINGTON POST &bull, The 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 beyond the small English town in which it is set.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—,nd attractive—,han 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 WarWhat begins as a study of a small-town society becomes a compelling account of war and its aftermath. —,i〉Woman's DayThis 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. —,i〉Good HousekeepingPerfect for readers in a post–,i〉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—,hough it serves the latter purpose, too. —,i〉The Seattle Times[Helen Simonson's] characters are so vivid, it's as if a PBS series has come to life. There's scandal, star-crossed love and fear, but at its heart, The Summer Before the War is about loyalty, love and family. —,i〉AARP: The MagazineThis luminous story of a family, a town, and a world in their final moments of innocence is as lingering and lovely as a long summer sunset. —,nnie Barrows, author of The Truth According to Us and co-author of The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie SocietySimonson is like a Jane Austen for our day and age—,he is that good—,nd The Summer Before the War is nothing short of a treasure. —,aula McLain, author of The Paris Wife and Circling the Sun "
Content:
Rezension(1): "HELEN SIMONSON was born in England and spent her teenage years in a small village in East Sussex. A graduate of the London School of Economics, she has spent the last three decades in the United States and currently lives in Brooklyn. She is married, with two grown sons, and is the author of the New York Times -bestselling debut novel, Major Pettigrew's Last Stand . This is her second novel." Rezension(2): "〈a href=http://www.audiofilemagazine.com target=_blank〉〈img src=https://images.contentreserve.com/audiofile_logo.jpg alt=AudioFile Magazine border=0 /〉〈/a〉:The audiobook opens with Miss Beatrice Nash's arrival in Rye, an English village where she's to serve as the new Latin teacher. It's the summer of 1914, but the war brewing on the European continent has yet to disturb life in Rye. Narrator Fiona Hardingham breathes life into a huge cast of characters--from the grieving, determined Miss Nash to a Romani schoolboy. She's especially adept with accents,the American author who is trying to downplay his heritage sounds appropriately ambiguous, and a Belgian refugee who speaks halting, heavily accented English is convincing. With subtle wit and barely suppressed emotion, Hardingham chronicles Miss Nash's first year in Rye, which stretches from summer garden parties to England's entry into WWI. This is storytelling at its finest, with a narration to match. E.C. Winner of AudioFIle Earphones Award © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine" Rezension(3): "〈a href=http://www.publishersweekly.com target=blank〉〈img src=https://images.contentreserve.com/pw_logo.png alt=Publisher's Weekly border=0 /〉〈/a〉: January 11, 2016 Simonson’s dense follow-up to the bestselling Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand focuses on gender, class, and social mores in the town of Rye in Sussex, England, at the dawn of World War I. Following the death of her father, who raised her to be intelligent and worldly, writer Beatrice Nash looks forward to tutoring three boys in Latin before she begins her position at school in the fall. Her advocate is the shrewd Agatha Kent, a discreet progressive who’s married to John, a senior official in the military. The childless couple love their grown nephews, Hugh Grange, who is destined to be a doctor, and Daniel Bookham, a handsome poet who hopes to move to Paris and start his own journal with a friend. As a woman, Beatrice doesn’t have much clout, nearly losing her job to nepotism and being dismissed by her favorite author, her relatives, and her dad’s publishing house. Simonson does a great job crafting the novel’s world. It’s a large book, and the plot takes its time to get going, but the story becomes engaging after Germany invades Belgium and Rye takes in refugees. Simonson’s writing is restrained but effective, especially when making quiet revelations. A heartbreaking but satisfying ending seems fitting for a story about the social constructs that unfairly limit people and their potential. Agent: Julie Barer, Barer Literary. "
Language:
English
URL:
https://excerpts.cdn.overdrive.com/FormatType-425/1191-1/2249012-TheSummerBeforeTheWar.mp3
URL:
https://samples.overdrive.com/?crid=a28285d5-b853-4c92-9ead-94d05c6956c2&.epub-sample.overdrive.com
URL:
http://voebb.lib.overdrive.com/ContentDetails.htm?ID=A28285D5-B853-4C92-9EAD-94D05C6956C2
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