Category: Historical Fiction
Tour Dates: November, 2012
Available in: Print and Kindle, 551 pages
It’s the Age of Elegance in the summer playground of the affluent and powerful. Amid the pristine, island-dotted lakes and pine-scented forests of the Canadian wilderness, the young and carefree amuse themselves with glittering balls and friendly competitions. The summer of 1914 promises to be different when the ambitious and destitute son of a disowned heir joins his wealthy family at their cottage on Wyndwood Island. Through Jack’s introduction into the privileged life of the aristocratic Wyndhams and their illustrious social circle, he seeks opportunities and alliances to better himself, including in his schemes, his beautiful and audacious cousin, Victoria.
But their charmed lives begin to unravel with the onset of the Great War, in which many are destined to become part of the “lost generation”.
The Summer Before The Storm, the first of the epic Muskoka Trilogy, evokes a gracious, bygone era that still resonates in this legendary land of lakes.
If you are a Downton Abbey fan, chances are you will love this book and the rest of the series!
The Summer Before the Storm by Gabriele Wills
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
From the beginning, I knew this was a very well-written book, but the story was not necessarily my style. Gabriele Wills is a gifted, descriptive writer, but I was not drawn into the story as I would have liked to have been. It was somewhat interesting to read about a rich family during the time just as the first Great War was coming to pass. The writing style was gorgeous, but I felt I was reading about nothing but spoiled brats. I was glad she had included a Cast of Characters at the beginning of the book–I wish more authors did that.
The first thing that piqued my interest was when the story of the Lusitania was featured. This was something I knew, and the historical account is phenomenal. I was also glad to notice that the “brats” were starting to grow up. Who couldn’t like Ria and Chas? In spite of the fact that they were intimate before marriage, thankfully we were not privy to their lovemaking. There are no sex scenes in the book, and the profanity is relatively mild.
As I read through most of the book, I wasn’t sure that I would be willing to recommend it. However, I think I can say now that I would be intrigued to read the other books in the series. This book set the stage, and I have found that often the first book in a series can be somewhat boring. The book has a very open end to it–we have to read the other books in the series to find out what happens. There are a couple little twists that even I didn’t see coming. If you like historical fiction, you may want to give this book a try. It is a little different, but you may find it resonating with you as well. It is an intricate look at a bygone era when women were women and men were men.
I was sent a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review I was not financially compensated, and all opinions are 100 percent mine.
Gabriele loves to recreate an era in which she can immerse herself (and readers), by weaving compelling stories around meticulously researched facts. Her characters are best friends, whom others are now calling “cherished friends”. If you want a glimpse of her world, visit her book trailers on YouTube – for the first 2 Muskoka Novels and for the third.
Not being able to leave all her extensive research on the Great War behind, Gabriele has created a website of quirky facts – Odd, Intriguing, Surprising Facts About WW1 – which is being used by international researchers and educators.
Gabriele was born in Germany and emigrated to Canada as a young child. With degrees in the social sciences and education from the University of Toronto, she has had a varied career as an educator, literacy coordinator, and website designer, and has been an active community volunteer, particularly in heritage preservation. But writing fiction has always been her passion. Her first short story, “Mrs. Beresford’s Disgrace”, won an Honourable Mention in the Canadian Authors Association short story contest, and appears in the Winners’ Circle 5 Anthology. In the fall of 2001, she produced a feature, nominated for an award, on CBC Radio’s “Outfront”.
Gabriele has done presentations to many organizations, and is happy to teleconference with book clubs.
Follow her blog – The Obsessed Writer – where she talks about research, writing, and life in general.
Review and support her books on Amazon and Goodreads, where you can become a “fan” and “friend”.
Support her by becoming a fan on Facebook.
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3 Comments
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Thanks again for taking part in the tour!
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Thank you for your thoughtful review, Ruth. I’m so glad that you did enjoy the book, despite some reservations.
Gabriele Wills -
