This is a novel about family, class, ambition, and love with some gender and social injustices thrown in.

The story begins in the summer of 1914, with Hugh Grange, a medical student, visiting Rye and his aunt Agatha who is living there with her husband. He is about to be engaged to a girl, the daughter of the head surgeon under whom Hugh is interning. The place and the weather are beautiful and tranquil despite the crafty social maneuverings of the upper class of the town. There is also a famed author Mr.Tillingham, who looks down upon woman writers, added to the mix, but he is open to instructing Hugh’s cousin Daniel Bookham the poet-writer.

Into this setting enters Beatrice Nash, as the Latin teacher, the first woman Latin teacher in town, whose hiring has been maneuvered by Agatha. As the new young and beautiful Latin teacher settles in Rye, a bit aided by Hugh in her getting to know the place, the talk of war with Germany hangs over the town like a threat, somewhat distant in the beginning. Then, when Germany invades Belgium, Belgian refugees invade the town to the open arms of the townspeople who consider them as their guests. Beatrice, too, like the other townspeople, takes into her small, dilapidated rental place a young Belgian girl, Celeste, who was raped by a German officer. To the horror of Beatrice, Celeste’s resulting pregnancy is being viewed as indignity by the local society women and Celeste is rejected so their social standing is not stained.

Soon enough, England enters the war and young men of Rye find themselves in the trenches with the townspeople aiding in the war effort. In fact, this is when some life is breathed into the action, and war in contrast with the peace of the past few months in Rye is what gives this novel its edge as a literary drama. This review is not for giving away the plot, which means the readers have to find out about how the events line up.

As to the protagonist, rather than the outer war, the inner war in Beatrice--who is a freethinking, open-minded young woman--is what seemed to be the most important to me. In the beginning, Beatrice is still grieving and idolizing her father who is a learned man who has written some reputable work and although Beatrice has edited and rewritten her father’s writing with utmost capability, her father leaves his fortune to his sister, Beatrice’s aunt, to be managed and then, given to Beatrice when she marries. This leaves Beatrice to fend for herself since she can’t stand her aunt, and although her salary is very low and is not even clearly put in numbers, Beatrice has to skimp and do without. Although Beatrice has decided to never marry, she isn’t immune to the charm of Hugh’s helpful, friendly ways. The answers to the questions, will Beatrice see the harm her father did to her and will love develop between Hugh and Beatrice, may be there inside the story.

There is also the sad subplot of a teenage Gypsy boy named Snout, a talented Latin student, who when denied a scholarship because of his social background, enlists to go to the war.

The characters are all meticulously drawn, each with their own quirks, beliefs, and personalities, yet adapting to their time in history. In fact, the characters make the plot shine.

Then, more than what happens in the story and who the characters are, I admired the author’s ability and keen perception of approximating the social structure and reality of a bygone era. Added to this is the seemingly low-key storytelling in the beginning, which twists into something spectacular after the one-third of the book.

seeing through the British upper class before the World War I and how the war changed this society.

everything.

for every character in the novel.

is Helen Simonson, also the writer of Major Pettigrew’s Last Stand.

It may well become a classic, despite its slowness in the beginning, which I think the author wrote that way on purpose in order to contrast it with the action of the war.

As much as I liked this book, this isn't for people who like complicated mysteries, suspense, and continuous dynamic action.

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Created May 09, 2018 at 4:31pm • Submit your own review...