1958. Esme, a novelist, finds a potential new literary project. A housemaid named Clara was convicted of murder, perhaps unjustly, amid the ending of World War II and the liberation of Guernsey from Nazi occupation. Esmeâs trip to Guernsey is an opportunity not only to research the case but also to learn more about her motherâs familyâas well as to heal from the heartbreak inflicted on her by the man she loved... 1915. A teenager marries her childhood sweetheart before he heads off to fight in the Great War. But he doesnât come back, and Jane, presumed a widow, flees Guernseyâdevastated by her loss. In London, Jane finds a new life and a new husbandâbut her past isnât done with her yet. This absorbing novel follows the parallel paths of two generations of women, and as each is faced with painful decisions and shocking discoveries, a question emerges: Can a lie be forgiven when the truth seems too much to bear?