This is the story of the four Maclise sisters, Iris, Marianne, Eva and Clemency. Daughters of a wealthy manufacturer, the sisters lead a privileged life at their home Summerleigh, each of them harbouring their own hopes and dreams for the future. However, it is a world on the brink of change, and with the gathering clouds of war, nothing will ever be quite the same.
Another sumptuous read from Lennox, who always manages to completely transport me back in time, her novels reading like a Sunday evening period drama to lose oneself in. With its story of 4 sisters, this could but put me in mind rather of Little Women, and certainly the bond of sisterhood shines through in this book as in the latter, though the plot and characters are quite original.
Each of the sisters is well depicted, pretty if somewhat self-centred Iris, reserved and sensitive Marianne, strong-willed Eva and dependable Clemency. We follow each of them as they strive for independence, following their loves and losses, and watch each in turn as they blossom into mature young women, learning from their mistakes, shaped by their trials and tribulations, yet each emerging stronger.
I enjoyed all the sisters' stories, none of them quite ending up in the place they would have envisioned themselves at the start, however, I think by the end of the novel, Iris was perhaps my favourite. I liked her no nonsense attitude, and the fact that there was so much more to her than the trivial party girl she appeared at first. Furthermore, I found her and Ash's relationship the most satisfying of all the sister's romances, perhaps because it felt the most developed.
The majority of the book is set in England, though parts of the story take place in Ceylon, and I enjoyed Lennox's descriptions of life amongst the expatriates here as well as her lush descriptions of the island itself.
As always Lennox writes with wonderful attention to historical detail, and I liked the transition in this novel from the idyllic opening chapters at Summerleigh, where she depicts the Edwardian era in all its nostalgic glory, and then contrasts this with shifting political and social landscapes, particularly seen through the eyes of Eva and Iris in London in the following years, and then later with the outbreak of war.
All in all an absolutely delightful read, with four well developed sisters at its heart.