Shadow on the Land: 6 (The Hamiltons Series) - Softcover

It is 1942, and the Second World War has been going on for three wearying years. Although outside the bombing area of German planes, the quiet countryside of County Down is far from peaceful. The textile mills around Banbridge are running on 24 hour shifts and Alex Hamilton is struggling to keep over-worked machinery going with no prospect of getting replacements and pressure rising all the time for fabric, uniforms, and woven equipment, all so desperately needed. Alex's wife Emily has struggles too, rationing and shortages of both food and fuel make it hard to provide food and comfort not only for their own son and daughters, but for the many young American soldiers stationed nearby, far from home and suffering loneliness. Throughout the most desperate of times there is still a welcome for friends and strangers and there are still moments of unexpected happiness at even the darkest of times.

Anne Doughty was born in Armagh, Northern Ireland. She is the author of twelve novels including A Few Late Roses which was longlisted for the Irish Times fiction prize. After many years living in England she returned to Belfast in 1998 and wrote the first of the novels that make up the Hamiltons series.