Amanda Hodgkinson's debut 22 Britannia Road * is "... (a) tour de force that echoes modern classics like Suite Francaise and The Postmistress". It is an eloquent, heart-wrenching account of one couple's struggle to reunite as a family after devastating wartime experiences.

When Janusz Nowak brings his wife and young son to the little house at 22 Britannia Road (Ipswich), they meet again after years of separation, almost as strangers. When Germany invaded Warsaw in 1939 Janusz enlisted, leaving Silvana and Aurek living lean and rough in the forest with other survivors. Finally liberated, they hope desperately for a fresh start as a family, only to find that their reunion is marred by mistrust, guilty secrets and things they thought they had left behind.

"Hodgkinson enters boldly into well-trodden, sensitive territory and distinguishes herself with freshness and empathy". A stellar example of literary WWII fiction.

Amanda Hodgkinson will be at Nicola Books, for reading and signing on May 12th.

* = Starred review