by Sebastian Faulks
The epic and profound new historical novel set in post-World War Two Britain, from the Sunday Times bestselling author of BIRDSONG, Sebastian Faulks.
Philip Deval, a soldier recently returned from the beaches of Normandy, arrives in Palestine on a peace-keeping mission in the final days of the British Mandate. The Sea of Galilee glitters in the distance as war-weary troops marvel at the novelty of oranges and sun – a paradise that belies a fierce new conflict about to erupt.
Some years later, Philip begins work teaching at a school in the English countryside and meets the enigmatic music mistress, Frances Darwood. Over long evenings spent listening to records in her music room, they grow close.
But Philip is a changed man, and must confront the secrets and scars of all he has lived through – which threaten, even now, to upend his future.