Lorna Cook

Amy is busy with her new tearoom and catering business and has no time for her love life. However, one day, she meets a guy, an American photographer, who came to Suffolk with his father and grandfather for a ceremony commemorating American soldiers fighting in the war.

Amy enjoys spending time with grandma, Kitty, whose story takes place during World War II. Kitty was a lovely young lady when she fell in love with an American airman stationed in Suffolk. Her story from almost seventy years ago, was still hidden in a dusty diary in the attic, which was finally brought to light thanks to her granddaughter. You need to read this book to experience the love journey of both Kitty and Amy.

It is a story about the lives of two girls in very different worlds. I liked the dual timeline and POV format and was drawn to both Kelly and Amy.
Kitty was an amazing person full of energy, love and dreams that didn't last long. Her granddaughter, Amy, was strong and hard-working person who cared for her family and took further steps towards her grandmother's happiness.
This was a gripping story of love and war.

The ending was tense but very beautiful at the same time.… (altro)

Cordelia Carr-Lyon lives with her parents and brothers on the family estate in the fishing village of Pencallick, Cornwall, England. Isaac Leigh is the architectural landscaper for the estate and lives in a cottage with his brother David on the grounds. Although introduced when Isaac first arrived, Issac and Cordelia truly took note of each other thanks to Cordelia's rambunctious younger brother's antics in the lake on a night their parents were hosting a party. It is their beginning.

The well-written, atmospheric story is told from 2 POVs, Isaac and Cordelia. I loved the flow of the storyline encompassing pre- to post-World War I, beginning in 1914 to 1921, immersing the reader in the lives of Isaac and Cordelia in their roles before the war, the changes war brought to their lives, and the aftermath of war. Letters intermittent throughout the novel were captivating, portraying a more intimate view of the characters' circumstances, thoughts, and emotions.

It is a novel of forbidden love by societal influences of social class and family expectations, of the necessities, courage, and resilience of those serving on the battlefields and the sacrifices and changes for those at home during and after the war, of supportive friendship, the bonds of family, and bonds of those that become family.

From twists, I anticipated to unexpected turns, the characters in this interlude of time were brought to life on the page. As meaningful as the ending was, a part of me didn't want the novel to end.

A bibliography of Further Reading is available at the end of the novel.… (altro)