Like others have said, this novel opens with so many names that it is hard to follow and not enough reason to care about any of them.

Such fascinating characters in the Downton Abbey vein. I very much enjoyed reading this and am looking forward to other books by this author.

It took me a while to get to this book for which I apologize. It is a good recommendation for those who like Downtom Abbey as the time period and location overlap. It is, however, a rather gloomy book with the spectre of WWI almost a character in the book. Like many period books, it is a bit plodding and not a quick or easy read. Unfortunately, this is a problem for me, but may be another person's cup of tea.