Overview

A captivating tale of forbidden passion and wartime friendship from the bestselling author of THE WILLOW POOL and ONE SUMMER AT DEER’S LEAP. It's 1940 and the threat of invasion hangs over Britain. But in the isolated hamlet of Nun Ainsty it is the arrival of the Army that turns things turned upside down – especially for two young women. Lorna Hatherwood, married to a man ten years older, lives a quiet life. Then she volunteers to read to blind soldiers at the nearby Manor and everything changes – because of a handsome medical officer named Ewan MacMillan. But their relationship could spell disaster… Then there is Ness Nightingale. A Land Girl billeted with Lorna, Ness is trying to forget a disastrous love affair. But when she meets Mick Hardie, a conscientious objector, she has to remind herself that she has vowed never to trust a man again …

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9780007131211

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Reviews

Praise for Elizabeth Elgin's previous novels: 'A story of passion, faith and class in Yorkshire. Unforgettable characters.' Daily Express 'Rich and vibrant blockbuster of a novel, brimming with drama and romance.' Manchester Evening News 'A poignant, powerful saga that will stay in your memory long after you've read it.' Woman and Home 'Once again Elizabeth Elgin has used her personal knowledge to fill it with the vivid kind of detail to keep her readers happy.' Yorkshire Evening Post

Praise for Elizabeth Elgin's previous novels: 'A story of passion, faith and class in Yorkshire. Unforgettable characters.' Daily Express 'Rich and vibrant blockbuster of a novel, brimming with drama and romance.' Manchester Evening News 'A poignant, powerful saga that will stay in your memory long after you've read it.' Woman and Home 'Once again Elizabeth Elgin has used her personal knowledge to fill it with the vivid kind of detail to keep her readers happy.' Yorkshire Evening Post

This is the story of two women in the Second World War. From very different backgrounds, Lorna and her lodger find themselves becoming close friends. With friendship comes a reappraisal of themselves and their lives and by the end of the novel each has grown and changed ready to meet new challenges. Lorna and William live at Ladybower, an attractive property which Lorna has inherited. So far Lorna has deferred to her much older husband, but now he has gone to war Lorna starts to make decisions for herself. The first of these is to take in Ness, the Liverpudlian land-girl who has come to work on a neighbouring farm. Her upfront, feisty manner encourages Lorna to defy William when he tells her to get rid of both the lodger and the hens she has installed on their beautiful lawn. As the Battle of Britain develops more serious aspects of war emerge. Ness is perpetually worried about her family in Liverpool and the reader is reminded that few working-class families had a telephone at home. Mick Hardie, Ness's co-worker, is a conscientious objector and regarded with suspicion by many. He is neither a coward nor a weakling and his high sense of morality attracts Ness. However, she is reluctant to enter a relationship with any man, for reasons that are gradually revealed as the novel progresses. Lorna's part-time work as a postwoman brings her into contact with Ewan Macmillan, who is temporarily in charge of a small military hospital where Lorna reads to the soldiers who have been blinded. They become close but Lorna convinces herself that as a married woman she is quite safe from any involvement. She is by now aware that her marriage with William is unsatisfactory but cannot contemplate any alternative. Unlike Ness she is bound by convention, and she refuses to acknowledge her feelings for Ewan. What is attractive about this novel is the way Elgin creates the relationship between the two young women, one naive and one experienced. They come to share thoughts and ideas and their spirit and loyalty shine through the narrative. Other characters are more stereotypical, focusing the reader on Lorna, Ness and their predicaments. A sense of mystery pervades the romantic passages, with a legendary nun haunting the local wood. Enjoy this book on summer afternoons in the garden, or on the beach. (Kirkus UK)

Author Information

Elizabeth Elgin served in the WRNS during the Second World War and met her husband on board a submarine depot ship. A keen gardener, she has two daughters and five grandsons and lives in a lovely Roman village in York.

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