Muskoka, 1914. It's the Age of Elegance in the summer playground of
the affluent and powerful. Amid the pristine, island-dotted lakes, the granite
cliffs, and pine-scented forests of the Canadian wilderness, the young and
carefree amuse themselves with glittering balls, lavish picnics, and friendly
competitions. But this summer promises to be different when the charming,
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 social circle - including captains of industry and financial titans - he
seeks opportunities and alliances to better himself, including in his schemes,
his beautiful, headstrong, and audacious cousin, Victoria.
Among
their large circle of family and friends are hedonists and intellectuals,
charlatans and Bohemians, hypocrites and philanthropists; the witty, the
frivolous, the heroic, the autocratic, the caring, and the tormented. Vividly
they bring to life the idyllic lifestyle of endless summers on tranquil lakes.
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".
This
richly textured tale takes the reader on an unforgettable journey from romantic
moonlight cruises to the horrific sinking of the Lusitania, genteel Muskoka to
wartime Britain, regattas on the water to combat in the skies over France,
extravagant mansions to deadly trenches - from innocence to nationhood.
The Summer Before The Storm, the first
of "The Muskoka Novels", evokes a gracious, bygone era that still resonates in
legendary Muskoka.
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