Welcome to Litsy!

A heart-wrenching, poignant and totally unforgettable tale of a young woman who must finally face up to the secret she has hidden for a lifetime. A beautiful World War Two novel for fans of Wives of War, Lisa Wingate and Diney Costeloe, that will have you reaching for the Kleenex. 1943, England: On a foggy night during the blackout, twenty-five-year-old May Robinson’s mother is tragically killed. Heartbroken, May isn’t sure she has the strength to harbour the secret she has kept for so many years – a secret her mother devoted her life to hiding, that would tear their broken family even further apart. Vowing to make her mother proud, May trains to be a nurse at Edgemoor General hospital in South Shields, against a backdrop of wailing air-raid sirens and the eternal drone of enemy planes. Tending to wounded, ashen-faced soldiers and fighting to save lives, May is immediately drawn to kind-hearted Richard Bentley, who works tirelessly alongside her. He has sparkling brown eyes, and makes her laugh. In the darkest of days, amongst death and despair, May and Richard are beacons of hope for one another. But why isn’t he fighting in the war like thousands of other brave young men? May knows how she longs to escape her own past, and her mother’s. In this perilous time of such uncertainty, she finds herself asking – how well do they really know each other? And when the shocking truth of May’s secret comes to light, just as the war comes too close to home, can their love survive the impossible? Readers have been swept away by Shirley Dickson: ‘I was gripped from the very first page… It was heartbreaking… I smiled through these happy times with them but also shed tears… I could not put it down… Will undoubtedly pull at your heart-strings. Just make sure you have a box of tissues ready!’ Stardust Book Reviews, 5 stars ‘What a beautiful story! Had me in tears from the very beginning. I couldn't put this one down.’ A Book With Review, 5 stars ‘Make sure you have tissues handy… The story is heartbreaking with a little happiness thrown in… Worthy of 5* and more.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘Promises to keep you turning the pages as your heart attempts not to break. A book you will lose yourself in!’ All The Good Books ‘Have a Kleenex nearby!’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars ‘A beautifully sad story… Beautifully written and ready to capture the reader’s heart.’ Goodreads Reviewer, 5 stars