Under the Heartless Blue

'An astonishing, accomplished novel. The vivid, visceral descriptions transport the reader to the Arizona of the 1880s and French Battlefields of 1918 as we follow the life of the extraordinary Vera Palmer. Alive with memorable characters, from the working girls in the brothel where Vera works as bookkeeper, to the pioneering and brave young woman doctor, ‘Tosh’, whom she befriends in wartime France, this is a novel to be savoured and remembered.' Maureen Myant, author of The Search

'An impressive debut that juxtaposes two periods in history which, though close in time, often seem so far apart in our imagination. From the Wild West to the Western Front, in Vera we have a protagonist, vulnerable and adventerous, open-hearted and independent, in whose company it is a pleasure to travel. The writing is luxurious and sensual. Under the Heartless Blue is a bewitching story of love, loss and survival told with humour and heart-breaking honesty." Iain Maloney, author of The Waves Burn Bright, Silma Hill and First Time Solo

'Allyson Stack brings us a committed, luminous debut; a historical novel you won’t forget. Set beneath the capricious skies of 1918 Europe and the wild old Arizona Territory, Vera's story is gutsy, effervescent and mesmerizing.' Alan Warner, author of Morven Callar, The Stars in the Bright Sky and Dead Man's Pedal