It’s 1936, nine-year-old Alice has been sent to Blackwood, her
grandparents estate, while her mother, Selina and her husband,
Robert, are on a trip to Burma to see Rupert’s mines. Blackwood is
a cold, deteriorating place. Alice is lonely. She misses her mother
dreadfully. Then a wonderful thing happens. Polly, the maid who cares
for her, gives her a letter from her mother that sets her on a
treasure hunt to find out who she is.
In 1925, WWI was
over and Selina was one of the bright young things. After the war,
they couldn’t get enough of parties, booze, and silly treasure
hunts through London. Selina’s mother wants her to marry and marry
well. The Lennox family is struggling after the war, but Selina isn’t
interested in pleasing her mother and marrying Robert Carew, the man
her family has chosen for her.
On one of the
treasure hunts, Selina meets Lawrence Weston. He wants to be a
photographer, but to earn money he paints pictures of the war dead,
sons, husbands, and fathers, to give the family a keepsake. Without
meaning to, Selina and Lawrence fall madly in love. She thinks maybe
she can make this work, but tragedy strikes and she settles for the
safe option, marring Robert.
This is a story that
will make you laugh and cry. The settings both London and Blackwood
are well done and historically accurate. They make the time periods
come alive. Selina’s story is tragic. She was almost able to
achieve her heart’s desire, but lacked courage. I loved Alice. She
is a sturdy little girl trying to cope with an atmosphere she doesn’t
understand. Polly was a perfect companion for her. She cared for the
child, but didn’t try to take the place of her mother.
This isn’t either
a romance or an historical novel. It’s an emotional story of people
faced with love and tragedy growing and changing. I highly recommend
it.
I received this book
from St. Martin’s Press for this review.
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