First published 2003
Aldred Leith has survived the war, but survival feels hollow. The brilliant soldier discovers that military success and worldly recognition cannot fill the emptiness inside him. In occupied Japan, he encounters Helen Driscoll, a young woman caring for her dying brother Peter in the aftermath of global destruction. As Helen tends to Peter's illness, she meets Aldred and falls deeply in love. Their relationship awakens something in both of them they thought the war had destroyed. Helen discovers parts of herself she never knew existed. Aldred begins to understand that mere survival is not enough to rebuild a life. Around them, other veterans struggle to reconstruct their shattered expectations and learn to hope again. Some succeed in fulfilling their destinies while others stumble and fail. Against the backdrop of Asia's emerging importance on the world stage and the resumption of international tensions, Helen and Aldred fight to reclaim their capacity for tenderness and human connection. They seek to restore balance to lives torn apart by conflict and find the strength to dream of a future together.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: found-family, second-chance
Setting: Japan, Asia
Period: Post-World War II
320 pages · Hardcover · Virago Press Ltd.