Orkney, 1940.

Five hundred Italian prisoners-of-war arrive to fortify these remote and windswept islands.

Resentful islanders are fearful of the enemy in their midst, but not orphaned twin sisters Dorothy and Constance. Already outcasts, they volunteer to nurse all prisoners who are injured or fall sick.

Soon Dorothy befriends Cesare, an artist swept up by the machine of war and almost broken by the horrors he has witnessed. She is entranced by his plan to build an Italian chapel from war scrap and sea debris, and something beautiful begins to blossom.

But Con, scarred from a betrayal in her past, is afraid for her sister; she knows that people are not always what they seem.

Soon, trust frays between the islanders and outsiders, and between the sisters – their hearts torn by rival claims of duty and desire.

A storm is coming . . .

My Thoughts:

I love books set back in time. Especially when it involves something that is interesting. This book is set in Orkney in 1940, and is about two sisters who volunteer to nurse the prisoners who are injured, five hundred Italian prisoners arrive on the island. The sisters befriend one of them but they get swept up into a whole heap of things that happen. I liked the story and wondered what would happen throughout but I did find it a little slow. The cover is stunning and brings the story to life.

I received an ARC copy of this book for an honest review.

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