Set in the early decades of the 20th century, this stunning historical saga follows the lives and loves of one extraordinary family, beginning with the Goold Verschoyle children in 1915. Though there is a war going on in the world outside, they seem hardly touched by it—midnight swims, flower fairies, and regatta parties form the backdrop to their enchanted childhood. But as they grow older, changes within Ireland and the wider world encroach upon the family's private paradise. Based upon the lives of a real Anglo-Irish family, this novel superbly recreates a family in flux—driven by idealism, wracked by argument, and united by love and the vivid memories of childhood. At the height of his powers as a master storyteller, the author has created a spellbinding and magnificent achievement.