As the Great War continues to take its toll, headstrong twenty-one-year-old Emily Bryce is determined to contribute to the war effort. She is convinced by a handsome Australian pilot that she can do more and it is not long before she falls in love with him and accepts his proposal of marriage. When he is sent back to the front, Emily volunteers as a "land girl", tending to the neglected grounds of a large Devonshire estate. It's here that Emily discovers the long-forgotten journals of a medicine woman who devoted her life to her herbal garden. The journals inspire Emily and, in the wake of devastating news, are her saving grace. Emily's lover has not only died a hero, but has left her terrified and with child. Since no one knows that Emily was never married, she adopts the charade of a war widow. As Emily learns more about the volatile power of healing with herbs, the journals will bring her to the brink of disaster, but may open a path to her destiny.
Record details
ISBN:9781542040112 (paperback)
Physical Description:print regular print 353 pages ; 21 cm
Library Journal Reviews : LJ Reviews 2019 February #1
This latest historical novel from Bowen (Farleigh Field; Tuscan Child) opens with a letter from Emily Bryce to her friend Clarissa, who's serving as a nurse in France during World War I. Emily is eager to join the war effort, but her parents are keeping her at home. It isn't long before she meets an "unsuitable" recuperating Australian pilot and falls in love. After her 21st birthday, she joins the Women's Land Army and leaves home, continuing the relationship until he's sent back into battle in France. Readers witness the British class system on the brink of change, and the bonding that steers the "land girls" through challenges of life and the war, as they learn farming skills, finally landing in a small village to help an arrogant and lonely aristocrat restore her estate. Tragedies strike, yet people grow and pull together in this rewarding romantic historical romp. VERDICT Lovers of history will better understand the sacrifices in England during the Great War, while romance fans will revel in the engagement and growth of the characters. Another great read from the award-winning author.âCheryl Bryan, Orleans, MA