Burning Summer

by Claire Rayner

Ruthie Lee is seven and England is at war. Brought back from the countryside to live with her mother and baby brother in London, she spends summer in the hot dusty streets and the warm companionship of the East End Jewish community. As if air raids were not enough, there is a shadow across all their lives, for her father has deserted from the army, there is no money coming in and soldiers are looking for him.

144 pages, Hardcover

First published September 11, 1972

About the author

Claire Berenice Rayner OBE (née Berk; born 22 January 1931) is an English journalist best known for her role for many years as an agony aunt.

Rayner is Vice-President (and former President) of the British Humanist Association, a Distinguished Supporter of the Humanist Society of Scotland and an Honorary Associate of the National Secular Society. She is also a prominent supporter of the British republican movement.

She was awarded an OBE in 1996 for services to women's issues and to health issues.

In 1999 Rayner was appointed to a committee responsible for reviewing the medical conditions at Holloway Prison, London, at the direction of Paul Boateng who was then the Minister for Prisons. The recommendations of this committee led to far reaching changes in the provision of medical care within Holloway.[3:]

She is president of the Patients Association and is the author of a chapter in The Future of the NHS (2006) (ISBN 1-85811-369-5) edited by Dr. Michelle Tempest.

On 4 January 2007, she hosted an episode of the BBC Radio 4 quiz, The Personality Test.

Rayner expressed delight to be an Ambassador for Hearing Concern in the charity’s Diamond Jubilee year:

"I feel that this charity represents people like me who have been part of the hearing world for most of their lives and have suddenly found themselves having to cope with a hearing loss. It changes your perspective on things which is why I am so pleased to be able to help Hearing Concern raise awareness of this hidden disability and get rid of the taboo that surrounds the deaf and the hard of hearing once and for all."

Rayner also has a very personal reason for supporting Sense's Older Person campaign. she wears hearing aids in both ears and also has Age Related Dry Macular Degeneration, a sight loss common in older people. Rayner helped Sense to promote "The Good Life" campaign booklet, tips on how to cope with sight and hearing loss in older age.

Reviews

[Justin Neville · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had long known that Claire Rayner had been a prolific novelist as well as a famous agony aunt. So I thought I'd try one of her books and see what sort of writer she was.

And this short standalone novel, published in 1972, was really quite wonderful. Very easy to read and on the surface a popular and light piece of fiction, but actually very clever and absorbing. Her ability to get inside the head of a seven-year-old girl, with everything she grasps and doesn't grasp, remembers and doesn't remember, is simply utterly convincing and at times breath-taking.

I'm impressed and will read more of her books.

[Hariharan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I just couldnt believe, how in the world can depict a kid's thoughts and feelings in such a wonderful, precise manner. Its all about Ruthie, a six year old kid during the war time in England. "Ruthie- the pisher", yes she wets her bed every night and almost a chapter is devoted to her shame and her ways to get rid of it. Most of the wartime novels talk about the disaster and the fear about bombs. But this was exclusive, where ruthie enjoys the war incidents. To Ruthie, the camps were wonderful, sound of bombs exciting, buildings shattered with bombs interesting. She wonders why adults behave so and afraid of bombs. An amazing piece of work which portrays innocence to the core. Another important aspect that sprouts out is that kids all over the world think alike. Though the author wrote about Ruthie in England, the thought process can be correlated to most of our childhood thoughts. I have heard about friendship of children who speak different languages and have felt it impossible. After reading the book, I can believe the theory. I am proud of decorating my library with this piece of great work.

[Hermien · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely book capturing a child's perspective of the world around her.