That Summer (Greig novel)


That Summer is the fourth novel by Scottish writer Andrew Greig. It was retitled The Clouds Above: A Novel of Love and War for the U.S. market.

Plot summary

It is June 1940. Working class Len Westbourne, an inexperienced fighter pilot, falls in love with Stella Gardam, a more worldly radar operator. Stella's friend Maddy is killed in a bombing raid and Len's squadron colleague, Polish pilot Tad, dies in a flying accident.
Told in alternate chapters from the perspectives of Len and Stella, That Summer is a love story told against the background of the Battle of Britain. Len is injured when his Hawker Hurricane crashes and goes off to recuperate with Stella in the countryside.