Swallowcliffe Hall 1914: Grace's Story

Grace is a kitchenmaid but, unlike her mother, Polly, she doesn't enjoy life inside the house; she'd much rather be working in the stables with the horses. Cricket teas and shooting-party luncheons will soon become a distant memory, however. It's 1914 and war is about to turn the country upside down. Soon all the young male servants are leaving to fight in France, while trainloads of wounded soldiers arrive at the Hall to convalesce. Grace can see at firsthand the terrible effects of war, and worries even more for her beloved brother, Tom, away at the Front. No one is safe, not even Lord and Lady Vye who are returning from America aboard the ill-fated liner, Lusitania. Amid the tragedy, Grace finds herself falling in love - with the wrong person. She is about to discover whether the old social order has truly changed.

A fascinating glimpse into a world that has gone for ever. Extracts from contemporary letters and publications set the scene at the start of each chapter, and the accompanying author website provides an historical background to this fast-moving story.