I read a lot of WWII fiction and am always amazed to read about the results of the war in areas that I've never read about. This novel is based on the real events of a chapel being built on a remote Scottish Island by Italian prisoners of war.

Dorothy and Constance are twin sisters and live alone on a small island. They are dealing with their parents' deaths and have no desire to go back to the mainland and back into the small society there. After the Allies win back North Africa, there are many Italian soldiers taken captive. 500 of these prisoners were sent to a small island in Scotland to help build barriers to keep the German navy away from Great Britain. The town is divided by the plan - they've been worried about an invasion for over three years and are fearful of the prisoners and don't want them there. Dorothy and Constance don't see them as the enemy but see them as wounded soldiers who need nursing and they both decide to help. Dorothy finds herself falling in love with one of the men who was more of a painter and poet than a soldier. Constance isn't happy with the relationship because it threatens the bond between the two sisters plus she is worried about her sister's potential heartbreak when the war is over. What will be the fate of the sisters and Dorothy's love at the end of the war?

This book is so much more than a love story between two people. It's also a love story about the beautiful islands. The author's descriptions of the beauty of the island make me want to book a trip to Scotland. This is a story of love and war, the bond between sisters and finding happiness in the midst of war. This emotional and heartbreaking story is one I won't forget. ( )