"When The Summer Was Ours"

By Claire Chang Sept. 25, 2024

Roxanne Veletzos captures the complexity of love between two doomed lovers in her historical fiction novel “When the Summer Was Ours.” Set in 1943 Hungary, amidst Nazi occupation during World War II, Jews, Romani people and other groups were actively wiped out in systemic genocide.  The central character Eva—the daughter of a Hungarian bourgeois—meets Aleandro, a passionate Romani fiddler while spending her summer on her family’s estate in Sopron, Hungary. One initial encounter with Aleandro bloomed into secret meetings in her garden every night, the only time they could be together without facing persecution. 

Knowing that society and war forbid them to be together, Eva and Aleandro say their devastating farewells. Eva marries a doctor that she was engaged to before meeting Aleandro. Witnessing the brutalities of the Holocaust, Eva takes it upon herself to provide the best patient care in a makeshift underground hospital, while the fiddler is held captive in a Dachau camp. There, he meets Rufus, a friend who encourages him to move out to New York to create a name for himself. Yet Eva is always on his mind.

Aleandro’s relentless pursuit of Eva highlights the clash between desire and reality; no matter how hard he tries to reconnect, he and Eva face obstacles, underscoring the beautiful yet heartbreaking nature of love. Meanwhile, Aleandro’s unwavering loyalty to Rufus reminds readers of how our deepest bonds provide strength in adversity.

The plot is slow to intensify, with some predictable and cliche tropes, such as star-crossed lovers. However, Veletzos makes up for it through vivid imagery, allowing readers to see war and love unfold chronologically before their eyes. Throughout the novel, the characters send heartfelt letters to each other, which are printed in the pages. This personal touch allowed me to imagine myself as the recipient, at times evoking tears.

Ultimately, the ending was unsatisfactory, as I was left on a disappointing cliff-hanger. Regardless, the love between Eva and Aleandro captured my interests and fulfilled my expectations. For now, this poignant historical fiction tale is a promising title on my bookshelf. 

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About the Contributors

Claire Chang

Investigative Report editor

Claire Chang is a junior at Leland High School, and she is the Investigative Report page editor and on the media team for her second year in journalism. When she is not chatting with her friends, she can be found crafting photo collages, working out or listening to music.