This is such a great story! So compelling. as it unfolds you get glimpses of the reality that alludes the characters. While this wasn't the best Europa I read this spring, that is only because of the excellence of the competition..

This historical drama about a murder (though not a murder mystery) is brand-new, but reading it made me feel as though I’d uncovered an undiscovered manuscript from decades ago. In 1955 Britain, two families with intertwined fates—one landed gentry, one servant class—struggle in life and love near the banks of a dangerous river. The story opens with the finding of a drowned body, but the real story lies not in why the victim died, but in the generational sins and struggles of the family members. If you want a story that ends well, this isn’t it—but if you’re seeking an atmospheric story of love and loss and joy and grief, this may be the ticket. Reminiscent of Shakespearean tragedy and Brideshead Revisited, with a strong nod to Wuthering Heights, to boot.

This historical fiction wove seamlessly between the decades before and after World War II. Three friends come across the body of someone that was a childhood friend. The author did a great job of weaving all of the characters together and did justice to each of their individual journeys. This was a pretty good read.