That Burning Summer (Paperback)

Lydia Syson (author)

£8.99

Paperback 336 Pages / Published: 03/10/2013

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Synopsis

Full of passion, this wartime coming of age story is about a girl, a boy and a crash-landing Romney Marsh, July 1940. When invasion threatens, you have to grow up quickly. Sixteen-year-old Peggy has been putting on a brave face since the fall of France, but now the enemy is overhead, and the rules are changing all the time. Staying on the right side of the law proves harder than she expects when a plane crash-lands in the Marsh: it's Peggy who finds its pathetic, broken pilot; a young Polish man, Henryk, who stays hidden in a remote church, secretly cared for by Peggy. As something more blossoms between the two, Peggy's brother Ernest's curiosity peaks and other secrets come to light, forcing Peggy and Henryk to question all the loyalties and beliefs they thought they held dear. In one extraordinary summer the lives of two young people will change forever, in a tense and gripping historical drama from Lydia Syson, the author of the acclaimed A WORLD BETWEEN US.

Publisher: Hot Key Books
ISBN: 9781471400537
Number of pages: 336
Weight: 226 g
Dimensions: 198 x 129 x 20 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

Syson's...great strength is characterisation...A touching evocation of a desperate wartime romance, which evokes a vanished era of hardship and fortitude. -- Suzi Feay * Financial Times *
Consistent excellence ... This is only the second novel from an author very much to look out for. -- Children's Books of the Year 2013 * The Independent *
Beautifully evoking the atmosphere of a small rural community under threat, it simmers with tension and intensity * Booktrust *
The burgeoning romance between the girl and the older, vulnerable man is beautifully and unsentimentally handled; this is a great novel for all those who like their history free of cliche, and who value human experience observed with non-judgmental clarity. * Teach Secondary *
A wealth of history is entwined with the story of one family and a seemingly impossible romance ... THAT BURNING SUMMER is a refreshingly different war story ... But it is Syson's beautifully developed characters that make the history come to life. * We Love This Book *
Lydia's book therefore touches on a very nervous time in Britain's history (...) Lydia tells a detailed story of how life was here in 1940 (based on much research and talking to local people) which weaves together history, romance, courage and coming-of-age in a charming but engrossing way * Ryenews.org.uk *