North Yorkshire, September 1939. Rosina Calvert-Lazenby, the widowed matriarch of Raven Hall, must be strong for her five daughters as the war approaches. When the RAF come to stay, Rosina is intrigued by their charismatic - albeit young - sergeant. But is there time for love with the war looming? Grace Calvert-Lazenby is twenty-one years old and ready for a new adventure. Joining the Women's Royal Naval Service, she trades the safety of Raven Hall for exhausting drills and conflicting acts of secrecy. It's not easy, but Grace knows that everyone has a part to play in what's to come.

There are millions of people who would be grateful - even thrilled - to start over. Pete Smith isn't one of them. Pete's swearing is getting worse. What with the divorce, the debt, and the dying travel business, no one seems to need him anymore. Well, except for his 23-year-old daughter, who - jobless and unable to afford London rents - is moving back home. Pete's delighted - he'll even put up with his daughter Susie's bothersome boyfriend, Niall, who struggles with the concept of personal space and only adds to Pete's neglected to-do list. But when Susie lands a job in Stockholm and flies the nest for good, Pete finds himself stuck with a flatmate he never signed up for - and out of excuses to hold onto the past. One day he'll get around to fixing the lock on the bathroom door, figuring out what to do with his failing business, evicting his daughter's boyfriend from his house, and maybe even getting over his ex-wife... But it turns out there are some things you can't put off until later - and some people who won't let you.

One of Britain's outstanding historical writers delivers a romantic and picaresque masterpiece that tells the fascinating story of William Neilson.