England, 1944: In a time of unparalleled fear, youngsters everywhere sought sanctuary in M. M. Haldane’s magical books, where no danger was ever great enough to prevent her hero from returning safely home to tea. But when her own son, Gerald, went down to the woods one day, not even a mother could save him from making a discovery so horrifying that it would mark the end of both his sister’s life and his innocence forever... England, 1995: As a new generation prepares to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of VE day, Gerald remains terrorized by his memories. Desperately lonely, he finds solace in following a young girl home from school. To protect her, he says. But when the girl disappears, all eyes turn accusingly to him. Gerald’s only salvation is to finally confront the atrocious events of his past—and the unthinkable, unspeakable truth about his star-crossed family, steeped in fiction and in guilt, that can finally set him free.
Author
There is more than one author with this name Laura Wilson is an English crime-writer based in London, where she was born and raised. She has degrees in English Literature form Somerville College, Oxford, and University College London, and has worked as a teacher and editor of non-fiction. Many of her novels have either a historical setting or a distinct historical connection, and often have split or dual narratives. Her first novel, A Little Death was shortlsited for a CWA Dagger award, and her fifth, The Lover was short listed for both the CWA Gold Dagger and the Ellis Peters Historical Dagger.
