Jan N. (jani8) reviewed on 2/25/2017 + 84 more book reviews

I've been drawn to this time period from Pre- WWI to Post WWII. Ms. Simonson has a fluidity to her writing that is elegant and sometimes a little earthy. This book is set in Rye, Sussex, England just before the Great War. It is seen through the eyes of several people, including the new Latin teacher (Gasp! A woman), a middle aged member of the middle upper class, a young surgeon, and a Romany boy who finds a lot of ways to make money. Woven in there is a town's devotion to do the right thing, but when it happens it's a different thing altogether. They take in some Belgian refugees and some open their homes to them. Then the war starts and various young men in the town join up. It's a lovely, beautiful novel about the atrocities of war and the people left behind to pick up the pieces. This gets a five star rating and I highly recommend it.

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