Apple Blossom Time

Edwin Ansty died a hero's death in France in 1918. Of that, Laura, his daughter, has been assured by everyone in the village of Ansty Parva. But they are all strangely reluctant to talk about this hero, whose name does not appear on the village war memorial along with the other fallen soldiers. Is there some terrible secret? Why is Laura not allowed to know about her father, whom she has never seen? A child of the Great War, Laura is twenty when the Second World War breaks out, and, as an Ansty, she must do her share. She is assigned to a post in Egypt and soon learnes firsthand about war and what it means. She finds love—or thinks she has—but realizes, almost too late, that her heart belongs much closer to home. And, always there, haunting her, is her father—handsome (she believes), brave (she hopes), but always mysteriously absent. 'There are ghosts. The air is buzzing with them and I have to sit and listen while they whisper to me ... ' Edwin Anstey died a hero's death in France in 1918. Of that his daughter, Laura, had been assured by everyone in the village of Anstey Parva. But they were all strangely reluctant to talk about this hero, whose name did not appear on the village war memorial along with other fallen soldiers. Was there some terrible secret? Why was Laura not allowed to know about her father, whom she had never seen? A child of the Great War, Laura was twenty when the Second World War broke out, and as an Anstey she had to do her bit. In the ATS she was posted to Egypt and learned at first hand about war and what it means. She found love - or thought she had - but realised, almost too late, that her heart belonged much nearer home. And always, haunting her, was her father - handsome (she believed), brave (she hoped) but always, mysteriously, absent. When World War II breaks out, Laura Anstey learns firsthand what war, and love, are all about, and begins to question the stories she has been told about her father Edwin, who supposedly died as a hero in France in 1918. During World War II, an Englishwoman searches for the truth about her father, killed in World War I. His name is missing from the village war memorial, but no one will explain why