1944, in the ruined wine cellar of a Tuscan villa, as the Allied troops advance and bombs fall around them, two strangers meet and share an extraordinary evening together.

Ulysses Temper is a young British soldier, Evelyn Skinner is a sexagenarian art historian and possible spy. She has come to Italy to salvage paintings from the wreckage and relive memories of the time she encountered EM Forster and had her heart stolen by an Italian maid in a particular Florentine room with a view.

These two unlikely people find kindred spirits in each other and Evelyn’s talk of truth and beauty plants a seed in Ulysses’ mind that will shape the trajectory of his life – and of those who love him – for the next four decades.

My Thoughts:

After reading this book I can’t wait to delve into more of Sarah’s books. I found this story fascinating and even more so by the way Sarah is a great storyteller. It is a moving and poignant story that explores love in it’s many forms. I wanted to cherish the words longer than I needed too just because it is such a rich story which is set in the 1940’s. A British Soldier and a art historian meet, will romance blossom? what will happen to both of them especially at this moment in time. A beautifully told story that you will just want to cherish.

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

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