Super Short Summary

The Summer Before the War by Helen Simonson follows Beatrice Nash, a young woman who becomes a Latin teacher in the quaint English town of Rye during the summer of 1914, as the town faces the onset of World War I. Her journey involves navigating societal expectations, forming bonds with Agatha Kent and her nephews, and coping with the war's tragic impact on their community and personal lives. The novel includes themes of wartime violence and sexual assault.