"The Solitary Summer" by Elizabeth Von Arnim is a thoughtful story set in the early 1900s, about a woman who decides to spend the summer all by herself to be with nature and think about her life. The book starts with the main character talking to the "Man of Wrath," who doesn't quite understand why she wants to be alone all summer. She dreams of a different way of life, away from the pressures of society, where she can appreciate the loveliness of the natural world and look closely at her inner self. As she pictures her days in the garden, enjoying all the smells and sights of spring, the story shares her deep thoughts and tells about her earlier troubles with gardening, as well as her need to feel more connected to herself. The start of the book feels light-hearted, hinting at a voyage of self-understanding in the middle of nature's beauty.
The Solitary Summer
By Elizabeth Von Arnim
A woman escapes to her garden for a summer of peaceful isolation, seeking self-discovery through nature's embrace and quiet reflection.
Summary
About the AuthorElizabeth von Arnim, born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an English novelist. Born in Australia, she married a German aristocrat, and her earliest works are set in Germany. Her first marriage made her Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin and her second Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell. After her first husband's death, she had a three-year affair with the writer H. G. Wells, then later married Frank Russell, elder brother of the Nobel prize-winner and philosopher Bertrand Russell. She was a cousin of the New Zealand-born writer Katherine Mansfield. Though known in early life as May, her first book introduced her to readers as Elizabeth, which she eventually became to friends and finally to family. Her writings are ascribed to Elizabeth von Arnim. She used the pseudonym Alice Cholmondeley for only one novel, Christine, published in 1917.
Elizabeth von Arnim, born Mary Annette Beauchamp, was an English novelist. Born in Australia, she married a German aristocrat, and her earliest works are set in Germany. Her first marriage made her Countess von Arnim-Schlagenthin and her second Elizabeth Russell, Countess Russell. After her first husband's death, she had a three-year affair with the writer H. G. Wells, then later married Frank Russell, elder brother of the Nobel prize-winner and philosopher Bertrand Russell. She was a cousin of the New Zealand-born writer Katherine Mansfield. Though known in early life as May, her first book introduced her to readers as Elizabeth, which she eventually became to friends and finally to family. Her writings are ascribed to Elizabeth von Arnim. She used the pseudonym Alice Cholmondeley for only one novel, Christine, published in 1917.
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