As the Storm Clouds Gather

In a world full of darkness, can love prevail? An emotionally gripping and heartbreaking WW1 novel.

May 1915. Nineteen-year-old German-American Ilse Stahl experiences the tragedy of war firsthand when a German U-boat attacks the RMS Lusitania off the coast of Ireland, killing more than a thousand passengers, including her parents. Somehow, she survives and conceals her German heritage to become a nurse on the front line in Ypres, Belgium.

In New York City, young Roland Hawkins loses his father in the notorious Black Tom explosion. Impatient and full of anger, he journeys to England to enlist and is soon in the trenches in Ypres, seeking revenge.

War tests Ilse and Roland in unexpected and harrowing ways. But when their worlds collide, they are also transformed by the unlikely bond they find with each other. Is the love that blossoms between them strong enough to survive the darkest days that lie ahead?

An utterly compelling, thought-provoking and unflinching novel of two young people drawn together through war and their incredible bond is full of courage, heartbreak, resilience, love and hope that will stay in the memory long after the final page. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Midwife of Berlin.