1910 and a successful German architect, Thomas, marries an up-and-coming British artist, Irene. This is the story of their lives and families through the next three generations and so the conflict in Europe from both sides, for poor Irene belongs to neither. We get the Jewish and homosexual problem, the turmoil and wretched heartache, the danger and tragedy in a long, eventful and beautifully written tale, a very fine book indeed. ~ Sarah Broadhurst
The wedding of Thomas, an idealistic German architect, and Irene, an English artist, brings together the Curtius and Benson families. But their peace is soon shattered by the outbreak of war in Europe. While Irene struggles to survive in a country where she is the enemy, her sister Sophia faces the war as a nurse on the Western Front. For their brother Mark, diplomatic service sees him moving between London, Washington and Copenhagen, all the while struggling to confront his own identity. Against a backdrop of war and its aftermath relationships are tested, sacrifices are made and Irene and her siblings strive to find their place in an evolving world.
Giles Waterfield is an independent curator and writer, the Director of Royal Collection Studies and Associate Lecturer at the Courtauld Institute of Art. He is a trustee of the Charleston Trust and a member of the National Trust Arts Panel and the Advisory Panel of the National Heritage Memorial Fund. He is also the author of three previous novels including The Long Afternoon which won the McKitterick Prize. He lives in London.
