An intriguing blend of a nod to historical fiction,with half of the book set during the time of the Russian Revolution and half set in the Lake District in the 1960s, this is more a tale of hardship, deceit, love and overcoming battles, both personal and political, than it is a history lesson.
The journey the reader is taken on as you learn of Millie’s past in Russia and begin to piece together the links between her own experiences and the impact they’ve had on future generations of the family is compelling. The ‘will they, won’t they’ aspect of Abbie’s encounters with Drew draws a nice parallel with Millie’s earlier relationship with Stefan and each character is sufficiently developed to enable the reader to identify with their personalities, whether agreeable or otherwise!
The ending may feel a little contrived to some readers, but provides another twist which allows the final pieces of the puzzle of Kate’s suicide to be revealed and so the author just about gets away with it.
Pickled Thoughts and Pinot 