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Autumn, 1944: the Allies are invading Italy. At home in Britain, along with everyone else, the Campion family are doing their part—working tirelessly in the hope that the end of the war is now in sight. Lou, separated from her twin Sasha, is spreading her wings quite literally in her new role as a member of the Air Transport Auxiliary, flying new planes to Royal Air Force bases. She is soon confronted with a man from her past—Kieron Mallory. Newly engaged to Bobby, Sasha is filled with increasing fear, both for Bobby and about the terror that engulfs her whenever she thinks about being trapped in the bomb shaft that nearly took her life. Emily, newly widowed, loves living in Whitchurch with Tommy—her adopted son, her pride and joy. But a chance sighting of Tommy turns Emily's world upside down and reawakens for Fran all the pain of her past. Back in London, Katie hopes that she is finally over Luke, until a surprise letter from him arrives. But can they ever build a friendship on the ashes of their love?
As the Allied forces push into Italy in 1944, the Campion family navigates the mounting personal and professional pressures of life on the British home front. Lou Campion seeks independence as a pilot for the Air Transport Auxiliary, only to face a complicated reunion with Kieron Mallory. Meanwhile, her sister Sasha struggles with the psychological trauma of a past near-death experience while managing a new engagement. The narrative weaves through the disparate lives of the Campion women, tracking their individual efforts to reconcile wartime duty with the lingering ghosts of their personal histories.
This work is characterized by its focus on the domestic and emotional realities of women during the final stages of the Second World War. The narrative structure relies on the parallel development of multiple character arcs, which allows for a broad examination of wartime anxiety and personal growth. The prose emphasizes the internal struggles of the protagonists as they attempt to build futures amidst the uncertainty of the conflict. The setting serves as a backdrop for exploring themes of resilience, the weight of past trauma, and the difficulty of maintaining relationships under the strain of global upheaval.
Page Count:
480
Publication Date:
2010-07-01
Publisher:
HarperCollins UK
ISBN-10:
0007265956
ISBN-13:
9780007265954
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