Twin sisters coming of age in 1940s Cornwall, England. Each completes the other. Yet, two people couldn't be more different. War surrounds them and challenges them. Love and affection bind them, until one day...

Drawing upon her mother-in-law's personal World War II experience as a telegraphist, author Liz Fenwick weaves a stirring narrative of love, honor, and tremendous sacrifice. The story spans the course of several generations between Cornwall, England and Cape Cod, Massachusetts. World War II is laid before them in London and Portland, England.

Ms. Fenwick writes exquisitely in a painterly fashion, transporting the reader to distant lands and time. Through her writing, one could nearly taste the tang of the seaside air and gentle caress of an ocean breeze. The narrative is most often told through the thoughts of one sister and epistolary accounts of the other. There are moments of sheer joy which sparkle through a story of great sadness, sacrifice and sorrow. Liz Fenwick is a masterful storyteller and a very fine writer. If history with a touch of romance is your thing then this is certainly the book for you.

I am grateful to author Liz Fenwick and Goodreads First Reads for having provided a free copy of this book. Their generosity, however, did not influence this review - the words of which are mine alone. ( )

The Returning Tide is Ms Fenwick's sixth book, and, for this reader, marked a significant change in depth, complexity, and length. All of these for the better.

The story of a pair of twins, Amelia and Adele, so alike in too many ways, yet subtly different, and their involvement with one of the most harrowing episodes of WW2 , and their reaction to the deaths and destruction to their own lives and families form the basis of a superb story.

The narrative weaves a trail from the author's beloved Cornwall to New England, to London and Portland in Dorset during some of the darkest days of the war. The trail is well marked with some impeccable and deeply personal research.

Liz Fenwick effortlessly blends a multigenerational tale of attraction, love and betrayal and its consequences right into today's times. I found myself drawn deeply into Adele and Amelia's world, and their struggles to find love and meaning in the face of such upheaval. She also mixes an attractive blend of detail, both modern and wartime into her story. This was a book which resonated with me on so many levels, and which I truly did not want to end.

I was given a proof copy of The Returning Tide on the basis of giving an honest review. ( )