The Breached Wall — Anita Burgh

This character-driven drama takes us into spring, 1915. Far away in France, the Great War was not over by Christmas as was confidently predicted. It shows no sign of ending, and the peaceful calm of Cresswell Manor in Devon has been shattered. It is now a convalescent home for soldiers from the Front. They arrive in increasing numbers to recover from their wounds, their minds and bodies broken. The old social order is crumbling as surely as time begins to break the walls of the ancient manor house. With their menfolk still fighting, the women left behind take on the burden of running the estate as well as their homes and households, working harder than they ever have before. Some of the women battle on and remain faithful, while loneliness encourages others to stray. Will life ever be the same again for Rowan, in conflict with society and fearful of what the future may hold, or for Esmeralda, who is riddled with guilt? Is it too late for Hannah to find her life's companion, and will Dolly ever be reconciled with the man she loves? These questions and more are answered as the characters struggle to find peace amidst the chaos of wartime Europe.