When the Summer Was Ours

A Novel

By: Roxanne Veletzos

Narrated by: Imani Jade Powers, Jacques Roy

“This compulsively readable tale of loss and love during and after the Second World War is a masterpiece.” —Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author

“A gorgeously written, impeccably researched historical novel, spanning decades and continents, and filled with a richly drawn cast of characters.” —Jillian Cantor, USA TODAY bestselling author

This epic World War II tale of star-crossed lovers separated by class, circumstance, and ​tragedy—from the international bestselling author of the “gripping…filled with passion and hope” (Kate Quinn, New York Timesbestselling author) The Girl They Left Behind—explores the impact of war on civilian life and the indestructible resilience of first love.

Hungary, 1943: As war encroaches on the country’s borders, willful young Eva César arrives in the idyllic town of Sopron to spend her last summer as a single woman on her aristocratic family’s estate. Longing for freedom from her domineering father, she counts the days to her upcoming nuptials to a kind and dedicated Red Cross doctor whom she greatly admires.

But Eva’s life changes when she meets Aleandro, a charming and passionate Romani fiddler and artist. With time and profound class differences against them, Eva and Aleandro still fall deeply in love—only to be separated by a brutal act of hatred.

As each are swept into the tides of war, they try to forget their romance. Yet, the haunting memory of that summer will reshape their destinies and lead to decisions which are felt through generations.

From the horrors of the Second World War to the tensions of the 1956 Hungarian uprising and beyond, When the Summer Was Ours is a sweeping story about the toll of secrets, the blurred lines between sacrifice and obsession, and the endurance of the human spirit.

One of the best books I’ve read

Incredible storytelling, a great plot, what a talented author. Thank you for this book, Roxanne! I enjoyed it even more so Ryan “The girl they left behind”.

The emotion with the speaking was so realistic

I wish there were more sound effects instead of just speaking to make the story feel alive. I do like how the male voice actor added an accent for one of the characters. That made it feel like the voice actor was really engaging in the story with me, instead of just being a robotic voice reading the story.

Worthy of a movie version.

This was a very heartwarming story. The characters very believable. I really think it would make a great movie.

Nice story

I enjoyed this book. It was the first book I read about Hungary during ww2 and afterwards. I did not like it as much as the first book by the same author “the Girl they left behind” but it was still a nice story. I felt the larger politics were only touched on, not described in as much depth as in the first book. I also wondered how likely such a story would have been, as the racism against gypsies was so strong during those times that it is incredibly unlikely that a woman like Eva would have fallen in love with a gypsy man. It is romantic and lovely but not sure if truly possible. I think the more likely story would have been a Hungarian man loving a Gypsy girl as there are many examples in history of this type of situation (white man- black woman, white man- Native American woman etc). Anyway, despite this, it was a beautiful story of true and unrealistic love:).

A story of hope and struggle.

I learned more about Hungary during WWII while enjoying a story about the complexity of love during war time. Great narrators.