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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
It was a sweet, good read. Some parts were predictable. I think I likd Major Pettigrew's Last Stand better. It was a nice audiobook for the car.
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my unbiased opinion.
The Summer Before the War starts in the summer of 1914 in Rye in Sussex, England. After the death of her father, self-declared spinster Beatrice Nash has secured a job there as the new Latin teacher in order to support herself. Hiring a woman as the new Latin teacher was not a popular decision in Rye, but Beatrice is supported by Agatha Kent and comes to befriend Agatha and her nephews, Hugh and Daniel. The book tells the story of several townspeople, including Beatrice; the Kents; Hugh; Daniel; Tillingham, an American author who now lives in Rye; Snout, a smart boy with limited options because of his Gypsy heritage; and Celeste, a teenage refugee. Most of the book takes place, as you would expect, in the summer of 1914, though the last quarter of the book takes you through the summer of 1915.
The book and plots weren't bad, but they weren't exactly compelling either. There was nothing that hooked me and made me feel that I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Overall, I liked it, but I won't be telling others that it is a must-read.
The Summer Before the War starts in the summer of 1914 in Rye in Sussex, England. After the death of her father, self-declared spinster Beatrice Nash has secured a job there as the new Latin teacher in order to support herself. Hiring a woman as the new Latin teacher was not a popular decision in Rye, but Beatrice is supported by Agatha Kent and comes to befriend Agatha and her nephews, Hugh and Daniel. The book tells the story of several townspeople, including Beatrice; the Kents; Hugh; Daniel; Tillingham, an American author who now lives in Rye; Snout, a smart boy with limited options because of his Gypsy heritage; and Celeste, a teenage refugee. Most of the book takes place, as you would expect, in the summer of 1914, though the last quarter of the book takes you through the summer of 1915.
The book and plots weren't bad, but they weren't exactly compelling either. There was nothing that hooked me and made me feel that I just had to keep reading to find out what would happen next. Overall, I liked it, but I won't be telling others that it is a must-read.
Character development was well done, evolving as you read the book, you changed your thinking about different characters. The time period was reflected well - and I'm so glad I'm alive today and not then!
I didn't find this book to be especially wonderful. It was sweet enough, but also rather banal. At the end of the book, in the chapters set in the theater of war, I saw that the sweetness and banality at the beginning of the book was representative of life before the war, but I never found I was surprised by the way things unfolded.
I used to dislike reading historical fiction. Being in a book club taught me to enjoy this genre. This book was a beautifully written story of a small town affected by the approach of WWI. The repartee between the characters surprised me as I didn’t think the interaction between men and women and between generations would have been so quick witty. It made the book more enjoyable.
This was definitely a page turner. I will say it started slow but really picked up. I learned so much about that historical period.
If only the first part of this book had been ruthlessly axed.
I was lucky to get this popular title from the library without a wait. I enjoyed the book and the setting, as it is a time and place about which I enjoy reading. It's a fairly recent book and it was well reviewed. Which is why I guess I expected more.
Don't get me wrong - it is a perfectly fine book. But it doesn't offer anything new or different. The characters were straight out of central casting and the plot line was predictable.
That said, the period of time before, during, and after the Great War is such a period of societal tumult that we can't help but be intrigued. It's fascinating to see how accepted norms begun to be questioned and how priorities shift in the face of world-wide chaos.
For those who haven't gotten over Downton Abbey....
Don't get me wrong - it is a perfectly fine book. But it doesn't offer anything new or different. The characters were straight out of central casting and the plot line was predictable.
That said, the period of time before, during, and after the Great War is such a period of societal tumult that we can't help but be intrigued. It's fascinating to see how accepted norms begun to be questioned and how priorities shift in the face of world-wide chaos.
For those who haven't gotten over Downton Abbey....