Spring, 1914. The students at the Slade School of Art gather in Henry Tonks's studio for his life-drawing class. But for Paul Tarrant the class is troubling, underscoring his own uncertainty about making a mark on the world. When war breaks out and the army won't take Paul, he enlists in the Belgian Red Cross just as he and fellow student Elinor Brooke admit their feelings for one another. Amidst the devastation in Ypres, Paul comes to see the world anew - but have his experiences changed him completely? 'Barker writes as brilliantly as ever . . . with great tenderness and insight she conveys a wartime world turned upside down.' Independent on Sunday 'Barker is excellent at conveying the immediacy of sensory experience.' Daily Telegraph 'Breathtaking, sharply written.' Guardian 'Vigorous, masterly, gripping.' Penelope Lively, Independent 'Extraordinarily powerful.' Sunday Telegraph