1939. Bombs threaten London and five small children step onto a rickety train, clutching their gas masks, heading to an uncertain future…

When the war with Nazi Germany sends five displaced children to her door, Dodie Fitznorton knows life in her quiet village will never be the same. Her once orderly home is now strewn with odd socks and abandoned toast crusts, and she gasps when she discovers a flea-infested ginger kitten hidden away upstairs.

But the baggage these little ones bring is far more than just their tattered suitcases. Eight-year-old Olive trembles when spoken to and won’t say how she got a bruised lip, and her brother Peter seems angry at the entire world. Then Dodie meets the children’s grey-eyed American teacher, Patrick Winter, who makes her feel she’s not alone in this fight.

As darkness falls over Europe, Dodie's fragile sanctuary begins to feel like a fortress under siege. With whispers of spies in the village and the children’s precious futures at stake, Dodie must decide who to trust before everything she's built crumbles to ashes around her…

A deeply poignant tale of love forged in wartime – heartwarming, captivating and impossible to forget. Perfect for fans of The Secret Orphan, Before We Were Yours and Anna Stuart.