The Summer Before the War

Simonson starts slow, but, boy-oh-boy, can she ever plot out a story.

This book is the tale of a woman who comes to teach Latin in an English town just before World War I breaks out. She has been forced by circumstances to work, and jobs are not easy to find for women. We get to know this woman along with her supporters and opponents and and students and rivals and friends in this little town, and that makes for a satisfying and well-told book.

I probably haven't done a good job of convincing you to read this book, but trust me in this: If you like for a book to carry you away to another time with characters that will touch your heart, pick up this book and give it a read. You won't regret it.