"It [the battered suitcase] still housed paper memories of lives well lived. It also housed a letter which held the truth about Rose's past life, and why Elenor had chosen to leave Britain and move to Canada. A secret Elenor had kept for so many years. A secret that had saved Rose's life."
-from the novel
This novel was a First Reads free selection, an historical fiction that sounded intriguing. I did enjoy it but there were parts that seemed to drag a bit. I will rate it a 3.
The story begins with an elderly Rose Sherbourne celebrating her birthday with her family. When they coax her to tell them of her past, a flashback relates her history for the remainder of the book.
The setting of the novel is WWII England, where Elenor Cardew has escaped an unpleasant family situation in Cornwall to become a caretaker for her aunt in Coventry. In that position she becomes involved with fellow employees and their young daughter, Rose Sherbourne. She also meets Jackson St. John, a Canadian pilot, and is rather smitten by him. When Elenor's two brothers are killed in the war, she feels compelled to return to Cornwall to save the family farm. I thought some of the description of her rural life was tedious. Elenor becomes the guardian of young Rose through some unfortunate (or maybe not) circumstances. When Elenor discovers a dangerous secret about Rose's past and romance enters the picture, the novel became more of a page-turner for me.
I liked the book but I have read many historical novels of the era that were much more compelling.
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