Romantic Novelists' Association

A gripping story of love, sacrifice and torn family loyalties during the turmoil of WW1.

July, 1914: In their sunlit Hampshire workshop, Alice Dalton mixes paints for the stained-glass artwork she and Edmund are working on, pausing only to joyfully cradle the soft swell of her stomach. But the looming war threatens her hard-won happiness.

A knock at the door announces the arrival of Victor, her estranged brother, returning after six long years in America. But her elation at being reunited is short-lived as she realizes he still hasn’t forgiven her for her part in the heartbreak that sent him abroad. When Victor enlists, their tentative reconnection is shattered. Will Alice ever see her brother again?

While her brother risks his life at Gallipoli, Alice begins to notice the cracks appearing for Edmund, as he tries to protect the world they’ve made for themselves and the happy family life they long for. Every day he’s torn between duty to his country, his moral compass and the desperate need to protect Alice from his powerful father, who could destroy their lives in an instant.

As the war gathers pace and threatens everything she holds dear, can Alice fight to hold on to love in a world torn apart by violence?