One message will change everything…

1915, London: Shaking, she opens the faded red front door and her heart races as the young boy on the steps holds out the telegram. The words swim before her. They can’t be true; this can’t be happening. Nothing will ever be the same again.

1943, London: Elizabeth Carmichael rushes out down the steps of her town house in her smart army uniform, daydreaming of her handsome fiancé posted miles away in the RAF, and determined to play her part in the war effort. Not looking where she’s going, Elizabeth collides with a tall man in the middle of the street. She instantly recognises him from a faded photograph from before the war. This chance meeting will change everything Elizabeth thought she knew about herself.

1960, London: Violet Carmichael wipes the dust from an antique writing desk, not expecting to find a hidden compartment, or the old diaries nestled inside. Peeling apart the yellowing pages, a story unfolds of a family devastated by two world wars and a man who risked his life for freedom and for love. It leads her to discover a telegram that will finally unlock a decades-old family secret…

Inspired by a true story, this is a heart-wrenching, page-turning and unforgettable story of the importance of family and the power of love and forgiveness. Fans of Kathryn Hughes, Kate Quinn and Kate Morton will be utterly gripped by this incredible historical fiction novel spanning WW1 and WW2.