From Publishers Weekly
Set in rural England in 1928, this nicely observed family saga traces the life of a governess's daughter brought up alongside four privileged children. When widow Sibyl Fox is hired as governess to princely Godfrey Harding, and his siblings, stolid twins Jonathan and William and saucy Venetia, she brings her prepubescent daughter, Mary, with her. The Harding children, who have been running wild, are brought into line by Sibyl, with Venetia and Mary, who are the same age, becoming best friends. As the children mature, sweetly grave Mary falls in love with secretive Godfrey, while fearless, tempestuous Venetia loses her virginity to a stable hand. Family friend Rafe Bartholomew becomes a mentor to Godfrey, though the more astute members of the Harding family realize there's more to their relationship. After a decade, once all the Harding children have left for boarding school, Sibyl returns to London, where she finds a job as a teacher. When war is declared, all three of the Harding brothers enlist while Venetia and Mary are recruited by Rafe, who is a key behind-the-scenes figure in the war effort. Mary becomes an "index girl," working at a branch of the War Office located in the countryside, while Venetia remains in London, acting as a sort of Mata Hari and hosting elaborate dinners for American officers. After Sibyl's death in an air raid, Mary discovers her mother's notebooks, and a surprise that leads to her search for the family she never knew she had. Though occasionally vague when it comes to detail, this energetic page-turner emphasizes the passions seething beneath the famed stiff upper lip demeanor that sees these characters, along with the rest of England, through the horrors of war. (July)
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
From Library Journal
The latest story by popular British author Palmer (Old Money; The Golden Rule) is set in World War II London and is sure to please lovers of women's fiction. Fans who have read Rosamunde Pilcher's Coming Home will find the plots nearly identical. Lonely girl Mary Fox is "adopted" by the wealthy Harding family and becomes best friends with their rebellious daughter, Nettie. Mary pins her heart on their handsome son only to lose him to World War II. Meanwhile, Nettie marries an unsuitable man, and Mary goes on to work in the war effort and find her heart's true love. The story of plain but shrewd Mary and glamorous but outrageous Nettie is well written and full of exciting twists that are Palmer's alone. The story ends with Mary's search for a long-lost brother and the realization that she is tied to the Hardings in more ways than she had imagined. Highly recommended for public libraries.DCarol J. Bissett, New Braunfels P.L., TX
Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
