A gripping book club novel about forbidden love, friendship and family secrets in a time of war. Perfect for fans of The Letter by Kathryn Hughes, The Notebook by Nicholas Sparks and The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society.

What if keeping your loved ones safe meant never seeing them again?

Canada, present day

When Martha's beloved father dies, he leaves her two things: a mysterious stash of letters to an English woman called 'Catkins' and directions to a beach hut in the English seaside town of Wells-Next-The-Sea. Martha is at a painful crossroads in her own life, and seizes this chance for a trip to England - to discover more about her family's past, and the identity of her father's secret correspondent.

Norfolk, 1940

Sylvia's husband Howard has gone off to war, and she is struggling to raise her two children alone. Her only solace is her beach hut in Wells, and her friendship with Connie, a woman she meets on the beach. The two women form a bond that will last a lifetime, and Sylvia tells Connie something that no-one else knows: about a secret lover... and a child.

But the tragedy of war brings heartbreaking choices. And a promise made between the two women will echo down the years, and could change everything for Martha...