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CLARE FLYNN
HISTORICAL FICTION - MODERN THEMES
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War changes everything...
especially for a little seaside town...
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A buried secret and a life changing betrayal in this gripping WWII story.
In the summer of 1940, Gwen Collingwood bids farewell to her husband, bound for the Front, knowing she may never see him again.
In Canada, farmer, Jim Armstrong, impulsively joins the army and is sent to England, after a terrible betrayal by his fiancée and his brother.
Gwen faces regular devastating German bomb attacks on her sleepy English seaside town. Meanwhile for Jim, the war has become a frustrating waiting game as Canadian troops are held back in reserve.
Gwen reveals strengths she never knew she had as the turbulent events of war force her to confront buried secrets and newly emerging emotions. Jim must dig deep to find a way to forgive his brother and rekindle his will to live. Thrown together by the war, can Gwen and Jim find hope and redemption in adversity – and each other?
This sweeping epic story is the first in a series of three novels which explore how war – and its aftermath – dramatically changes lives. Perfect for fans of Kristin Hannah, Rhys Bowen and Fiona Valpy.
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They faced up to the challenges of war – but can they deal with the troubles of peace?
Canadian, Jim Armstrong, married in haste during the second world war, after a one-night stand. When his wife and their small son join him in Canada it’s four years since they’ve seen each other. War bride, Joan discovers Jim has no intention of the family returning to England. She struggles to adapt to life on a remote farm in Ontario, far from her family and cold-shouldered by Jim’s mother. Jim, haunted by his wartime experiences in Italy, Iingering feelings for a former lover, and the demands of the farm, begins to doubt his love for Joan. From the rolling farmland of Ontario to the ravaged landscapes of war-torn Italy, this sweeping love story is the sequel to The Chalky Sea.
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Three strong women make their way in 1950s Canada.
English hairdresser, Ethel, alone after the deaths of her parents and brother, and her wartime fiancé.
Widow and single mother, Alice, bringing up two daughters, receives an unexpected inheritance that will transform her life.
War bride, Joan, now mother to four small children. All brought together in a rural Canadian town where they each try to build a future – often in spite of the men in their lives.
Each woman has a different idea of happiness. Will any or all of them achieve it?
The final novel in The Canadians series after The Chalky Sea and The Alien Corn.
Grab your copy now and lose yourself in the lives and loves of these women.