My Dear I Wanted to Tell You

<p><strong>One of those books that doesn't leave you and probably never will. --Jacqueline Winspear <em>New York Times</em> bestselling author of the Maisie Dobbs novels</strong></p><p><strong>The onrush of World War I irrevocably intertwines the lives of two young couples in Louisa Young's epic tale of love in the midst of chaos. Perfect for readers of <em>Atonement</em> <em>The Mapping of Love and Death</em> and <em>The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Society</em> Young's moving novel of class struggles star-crossed romance and the grim reality of the battlefield is a stunning exploration of the devastating consequences of a world enmeshed in total war.</strong></p><p>At eighteen years old working-class Riley Purefoy and posh Nadine Waveney have promised each other the future but when war erupts across Europe everything they hold to be true is thrown into question. Dispatched to the trenches Riley forges a bond of friendship with his charismatic commanding officer Peter Locke as they fight for their survival. Yet it is Locke's wife Julia who must cope with her husband's transformation into a distant shadow of the man she once knew. Meanwhile Nadine and Riley's bonds are tested as well by a terrible injury and the imperfect rehabilitation that follows it as both couples struggle to weather the storm of war that rages about them.</p><p>Moving among Ypres London and Paris this emotionally rich and evocative novel is both a powerful exploration of the lasting effects of war on those who fight--and those who don't--and a poignant testament to the enduring power of love.</p>