1941. When Zofia’s beloved husband Haru is conscripted into the Imperial Japanese Army, she is left to navigate Japanese-occupied Shanghai alone.
Far from home and surrounded by a country at war, Zofia finds unexpected comfort in a bond with Hilly, a spirited young refugee escaping Nazi-occupied Austria.
As violence tightens its grip on the Japanese-occupied city, they seek shelter with Theo, Zofia’s American employer. But with every passing day, the horrors of war and Haru’s absence begin to reshape Zofia’s world – and her heart.
Can she still love someone who has become the enemy?
DEBORAH SWIFT is a USA TODAY bestselling author of historical fiction, a genre she loves. As a child, she enjoyed reading the Victorian classics such as Jane Eyre, Little Women, Lorna Doone and Wuthering Heights. She has been reading historical novels ever since, though she’s a bookaholic and reads widely – contemporary and classic fiction. In the past, Deborah used to work as a set and costume designer for theatre and TV, so enjoys the research aspect of creating historical fiction, something she was familiar with as a scenographer. More details of her research and writing process can be found on her website www.deborahswift.com. Deborah likes to write about extraordinary characters set against the background of real historical events.