Set in both England and France this story opens
during the summer of 1914 when the rumblings of the war to come is evident. Nevertheless, Anthony Greville, 9th Earl of
Stanmore and his family continue on with their privileged lives at Abingdon
Pryor. Alexandra Greville is embarking
on her debutante season and her brother Charles is hopelessly in love with Lydia
Foxe, the untitled daughter of an influential businessman. Martin Rilke, a cousin, arrives from America
with plans to spend the summer touring England.
Little do they know that the very fabric of their lives is about to
change forever helped along when many of their servants leave to serve at the
front.
This is a moving story with fictional characters interwoven
with historical personages and events. The
reader is taken from the English manor house into the trenches in France to
witness the depredation and misery endured by those who fought. So many brave young men who went “over the
top” perhaps to die minutes later, mowed down by machine gun fire as they ran toward
the enemy through the mud encrusted landscape.
Over 16 million died - 20 million were wounded. A whole generation lost.
Phillip Rock (1927-2004) was born in Hollywood,
California. He spent his younger years
in England with his family until the blitz of 1940. His adult years were spent in Los Angles.
Other books in this trilogy:- Circles of Time and A Future Arrived.
A great review Jill...I love historical English novels. This sounds like an interesting read. War time stories have always fascinated me, reading about how they effect so many lives long after they are over.
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