Clarissa Granville is a young woman who has been born into money and knows where her life is headed. She is to marry and hopefully marry well. The summer of 1914 is where it all changes. She meets the only son of the housekeeper, Tom Cuthbert. Her pre-planned life isn't a sure thing anymore. Against the wishes of her mother, Clarissa begins a friendship and the two of them fall in love over the course of the summer. But the whispers of war changes the lives of the Granvilles and also the relationship between Clarissa and Tom. The two of them swear eternal love but that love will be tested again and again in the following years.
This is what I call an epic saga book. One of those that follows many characters for a large portion of their lives. The novel starts a few months before the beginning of World War I and will eventually end in 1930. There is some romance in the book but there are other social issues intertwining with the characters: Women's rights such as voting, independence from conventions, the fraying of the class structures are some of the issues that are touched on. I highly recommend this because the main heroine isn't always likeable. She is willful and some of her actions are downright questionable. But this is good. A cookie cutter female character isn't a good fit for this novel. Clarissa is a challenge to root for sometimes and the ending has a twist I didn't see coming. Excellent read for those hot summer evenings.
6 Degrees of Reading: Summerset Abbey by T.J. Brown, The Lavender Garden by Lucinda Riley, Ashenden by Elizabeth Wilhide.
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