Publication date: August 4th, 2022
Synopsis:
Amid the ruins of the Second World War, an illegal and tentative relationship begins.
England 1944. As Allied forces battle their way through Europe, German prisoners of war are sent to camps all over England. In a sleepy Somerset village, Clare is still grieving for her husband when the first prisoners arrive.
As the men start working on the farm, it isn't long before she finds herself face to face with the enemy who made her a widow. Hating them all, she avoids them as best as she can. But when one of them saves a young child's life, she is forced to reconsider. As an unexpected and illicit connection develops between them, her loyalties are stretched to the limit.
Their secret doesn't last. Shunned by family and friends for illegal fraternization with the enemy, Clare risks losing all she has. Then long-held secrets are brought to light and she must make an impossible choice.
In a world that has changed beyond recognition, can they find a way to build a future together, or will their happiness be destroyed by the burdens of the past?
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Excerpt
The figures of the men settled into clearer focus. Four of them were walking two abreast with a British army guard in front, a different man from the callow corporal of the day before. They walked casually, not marching, which surprised her -- they were still soldiers of the German army after all. But they walked in silence and though she wanted more than anything to turn her head away, her gaze was drawn against her will towards them -- curiosity and loathing in equal measure.
"Morning, miss." The guard slowed his pace as he approached. He held his rifle at the ready and for an instant she saw herself taking it from him and mowing down the prisoners right here in the lane, before she squashed the image flat, shocked at herself. Perhaps she was not so unlike Walter's mother after all.
"Morning." she managed to reply, though her throat was parched and the word came out as little more than a croak. She wondered if he ever heard it.
"Rowan Farm this way, is it? Got some workers for them."
She nodded and let her eyes drift towards the little group of prisoners. The same man as yesterday met her gaze. Green eyes, she noticed this time, that looked at her with unnerving intensity. Fine blond hair framed a face with features that were regular and neat except for the cut on his cheekbone and the dark bruise that was spreading underneath it. He didn't look like a monster. None of them did, she realized. They were just regular men caught on the wrong side of the argument. But still, their actions had brought the world to its knees and taken Walter away from her, and she was not ready to forgive them for that.
She lowered her eyes to the rough ground at her feet and walked on without another word. The tread of the prisoners dwindled quickly into silence behind her, but she could not shake her thoughts free of the image of that man and the way he seemed to look right into her, exposing every nerve. Angry with him for the way he made her feel and with herself for allowing it to happen, she got back on the bike and pedaled hard for the last little bit of the journey through the village; by the time she arrived at the school, she was sweating.
SAMANTHA GROSSER is a very British author who doesn't function without tea. Having spent many years teaching English in Asia and Australia, she has now made her home on the sunny beaches of Sydney, Australia, where she lives with her husband, teenaged son, and a very small dog named Livvy.
She is the author of Another Time and Place, The Officer's Affair, The King James Men, and the historical fantasy series Web of Witches. When she isn't writing or reading, (which isn't often) you can find her either doing yoga, going for long walks, or watching old movies.
You can find out more on her website.
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