The village of Sperrin in Ireland during the Second World War sees the lives of six people become inextricably intertwined, with far-reaching consequences for each of them: - Valentino McKelvie, whose loss of sight does not hinder his perpetual search for sexual liaisons. - Emma Johnston, a young English woman exiled to Sperrin because of a family scandal. - Sir Kenneth Montgomery, the local magnate and owner of the town's linen mill, now given over to making parachutes for the war. - Eleanor Montgomery, Sir Kenneth's wife, who leads a lonely life in the big house at Mill Brae, grieving over her inability to have children. - Kryzsztof Walenski, a young Polish man sent by his father to Ireland to avoid the war. - Kate Reilly, Sir Kenneth's secretary. In telling this fascinating story of passion and deception, Michael O'Kane demonstrates a remarkable talent for bringing his characters to life as well as an ability to create an evocative picture of time and place.