As World War One brings women unexpected new freedoms, bookbinder Peggy has the chance at a new future.
'Vivid and moving ... I absolutely loved it!' Ruth Hogan, author of The Keeper of Lost Things
'Charming, original and beautifully researched' Rachel Hore, author of A Beautiful Spy
'When the men leave for the Western Front, Peggy and her friends must shoulder the burden at home.
As she moves between her narrowboat full of memories and the demands of the bookbindery where she works, Peggy's dreams of escaping for a new life feel ever more remote.
But the war brings people together in unexpected ways. New friends and lovers offer new opportunities but also present difficult choices – and Peggy must write her own story.
'A fresh, exciting new voice in historical fiction' Paula McLain, author of The Paris Wife
'A compelling homage to the transformational power of books' Daisy Wood, author of The Forgotten Bookshop in Paris
Dictionary of Lost Words, Reese Witherspoon Book Club Pick, May 2022
- Reading Well for families
- Summer Reads
- Newly Added books for adults
- Fiction available to borrow now
- Dark Futures
- Jane Austen 250
- Best of Boldwood
- Tales of Terror
- Irish Writers
- VE Day 80 1945-2025
- Newly Added eBooks
- eBooks always available
- eBooks in Ukrainian
- See all ebooks collections
- Audiobooks available to borrow now
- Newly Added Audiobooks
- Norfolk and Fenland Crime
- Most Popular Audiobooks
- Try Something Different
- Audiobooks always available
- See all audiobooks collections
- New eBooks
- New Audiobooks
- Most Popular
- Story Garden – Summer Reading Challenge 2025
- All Fiction
- All Nonfiction
- All Audiobooks
- Great Picture Books
- Cool Comics
- Empathy Building Books for Children
- Reading Well for Children
- See all children's elibrary collections
- New eBooks
- New Audiobooks
- Most Popular Teen titles
- All Fiction
- All Nonfiction
- All Audiobooks
- Manga Collection
- Graphic Novels
- LGBTQIA+ YA
- Reading Well for Teens
- Read for Empathy
- See all young adult elibrary collections