Summer is just around the corner and there are plenty of books

By Lynda Rego
Posted 6/16/17

I was looking for some fun books and, with summer coming quickly, these are just the thing to take to the beach, the lake or the backyard. “The Summer Before the War: A Novel” (2016) by …

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Summer is just around the corner and there are plenty of books

Posted

I was looking for some fun books and, with summer coming quickly, these are just the thing to take to the beach, the lake or the backyard.
“The Summer Before the War: A Novel” (2016) by Helen Simonson. Simonson wrote “Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand,” which I loved. I enjoyed this book, too. Set in the summer leading up to World War I and through the war to the summer of 1920, it’s the story of Beatrice, a young woman who arrives in Rye in Sussex to teach school and her interactions with the townspeople. But, it’s also about poets and writers. Beatrice aspires to be a writer and one of the male characters is a poet. Each chapter begins with a bit of poetry by one of the war poets. It’s an interesting time as the motorcar, telephone, electricity and airplanes, along with the advent of women fighting for suffrage and social justice, bring big changes to Edwardian England. The female characters run the gamut, but are all a product of their time and circumstances yet still sympathetic (well, except for the mayor’s wife). It’s a comedy of manners, a love story, a look at family and ambition, and a poignant view at wartime.
“Today Will Be Different” (2016) by Maria Semple. Semple wrote the wonderful “Where’d You Go, Bernadette?” And, “Different” is just as entertaining. Eleanor Flood, an animator known for a famous TV show, lives in Seattle with her husband, Joe, a hand surgeon, and son, Timby. Semple’s complex female characters are hard to characterize, but they are sharp and witty and fun to spend time with. Eleanor is supposed to be writing a memoir for her publisher, but is having a hard time just greeting each day. But, she decides today will be different. “Today I will be present. Today, anyone I speak to, I will look them in the eye and listen deeply. Today there will be an ease about me.” But, when she discovers her husband hasn’t been going to work and his office thinks the family is away on vacation, she sets off to discover where he is and if her marriage is over. Of course, there are adventures and interesting people along the way. And, a satisfying conclusion.
“The Secret Life of Violet Grant” (2014) by Beatriz Williams is the story of two women — recent college graduate Vivian Schuyler of New York City in 1964 and her great-aunt Violet Grant, a nuclear physicist working with her husband in Berlin. When Vivian receives Violet’s valise in the mail 50 years after Violet went missing in Germany just at the outbreak of World War I, she is intrigued. Although she comes from money, Vivian has chosen to work for Metropolitan magazine in the city to the dismay of her parents. They are equally dismayed with her quest to find out what happened in Berlin. But, Vivian is not easily dissuaded from anything she wants. The chapters alternate between Vivian and Violet’s lives. This book is smart and funny and has romance, intrigue, mystery and a great period in history (Violet and her husband are part of the circle that included Einstein). I have added Beatriz Williams’ other books to my wish list.
“Nothing Daunted: The Unexpected Education of Two Society Girls in the West” (2011) by Dorothy Wickenden is a real-life story about the author’s grandmother, Dorothy Woodruff, who, with her best friend, Rosamond Underwood, headed west in 1916 to teach school in the wilds of Elkhead, Colo. The two wealthy, New Yorkers and Smith graduates, who hadn’t married and were bored with the teas and good works they were performing, jumped at the chance to become the first teachers at the new school. Of course, they were chosen as much for their looks as their brains (pictures were required with applications). There were more cowboys than women in Colorado and it was hoped the teachers would settle down and marry a local man. Wickenden used letters sent home by both women, along with reminiscences from other people of the time, history of the area and the country to tell the story. It’s an interesting look at the West from a different perspective. The two women are lauded for their adventurous spirit, which was impressive for society women of the day. But, at the same time, they were hardly roughing it. The family they stayed with provided cooking, laundry and trail-breaking through the snow during their winter treks back and forth to school. But, they brought real change to the area and learned about themselves along the way.
“Lullaby for Lakeside” (2017) by Beth Armstrong of Rhode Island is a little slice of summer set in the 1960s. Each chapter is almost a stand-alone story — as if each was written as a serialized series. Lakeside is a Methodist community set on the edge of Lake Erie, where coffee, alcohol, tobacco and cards are discouraged, but used by just about everyone. At first, the language seemed a little stilted (not enough contractions for modern talk) and each chapter dealt with a social problem (racism, bullying, sexual harassment, homophobia). But, as I read, a picture of Lakeside became very clear and the lifestyle reminded me of a summer cottage an aunt and uncle had on a lake when I was 12 to 14. It had the same lazy days, wet bathing suits and towels on the clothesline, casual meals, lots of books and puzzles, and no TV or screens of any kind in those days. In her introduction, Armstrong asks readers to dredge up memories of a similar summer place. “Go there now. Bask in the glow. Drink in the innocence. Swim in the sweet, pure waters of unsullied youth.”
“Overseas” (2012) by Beatriz Williams. I read this book knowing absolutely nothing about it, except I liked other books by her. So, it was a pleasant surprise to discover time travel is involved. Those of you who read my reviews know how much I love time travel stories (one of my first reviews was on books that involve time travel). Kate Wilson is a Wall Street analyst in 2007 when she meets Julian Laurence, a billionaire hedge fund genius. The instant attraction and romantic relationship that develops is not like the independent Kate. But, there’s just something about the mysterious Englishman she can’t resist. Alternate chapters take us back to France in 1916, where Kate encounters Julian behind the Western Front during World War I.  I don’t want to give more away. This love story transcends time and wartime. I would have cut some of the over-the-top romance novel descriptions, but it’s a fun read – perfect for summer.

Visit Lynda Rego on Facebook at www.facebook.com/lynda.rego where she shares tips on cooking, books, gardening, genealogy and other topics. Click on Like and share ideas for upcoming stories.

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