I love Philippa Gregory's books and this one was no exception! The story is set in the early 1920s, when England is just recovering from the Great War, but also when its aftermath is all too evident with the presence of war-wounded and shell-shocked casualties. Lily, a chorus girl shielded from the effects of war by her protective mother, meets Stephen, a war "hero" who is troubled by nightmares of his memories as an officer in the trenches. As the story unfolds, Lily learns to live with the upper-class ways of her new family against all odds, against the backdrop of a dark, sinister secret. Ms Gregory eases the reader into the story by giving an insight into each character's life and personality until, before your know it, you are swept up by the pace of the novel until you cannot bear to put the book down! A truly engrossing read, which makes the reader feel as if she or he can 'see' inside each character's head and the life they are living every moment. Superb!