Spring 1935. Two girls meet by chance on Hampstead Heath. To an outsider, they could not appear more different. Verity is well-mannered and smartly dressed, living with her parents in a beautiful house close to the heath. Ruby is dishevelled and grubby, used to a life of squalor where she is forced to steal to survive. Yet there's an instant affinity between them, and when their fortunes are shockingly reversed, it is the strength of their friendship that keeps them resilient to the challenges and hardships they face.

As Britain prepares for war, Ruby finds herself in Devon with the world at her feet and enjoying her first taste of romance. Meanwhile, hundreds of miles away, Verity is forced to leave behind everything she has ever known and a shadow from the past threatens her chances of a new beginning. But through it all, the girls are always there for each other. Until the day Verity does the one thing that will break Ruby's heart.

In a country torn apart by fighting, will Verity and Ruby survive long enough to find a way back to each other? Or do some betrayals go with you to the grave . . .?

Praise for Lesley Pearse
'Epic romantic drama set in post-war London' Heat Magazine
'A heart-warming and evocative tale that is a real delight to read' Sun
'A narrative that gallops along, this is quintessential Pearse that will delight her army of readers' Daily Mail
'Must have' Sunday Express
'Yet another great Lesley Pearse novel' Woman Magazine
'Evocative, compelling, told from the heart' Sunday Express
'Utterly riveting, brilliant' Closer
'Full of love, passion and heartbreak' Best
'Glorious, heartwarming' Woman & Home
'This gripping tale of war and friendship is perfect for a long day of beach reading.' Marie Claire