From the first sentence, the historical setting felt credible and compelling. There was so much setting that I felt instantly transported into the past. Already this made for a very interesting read, and the story of Cathy, one of many in an unhappy marriage and struggling through a time of war in this period, left me wanting to discover more, and hoping for her happy ending. I also loved the flowers on the cover, symbolising a bit of hope and joy, on the edge of a very bleak time in which to live.