In this novel, they just seem to happen upon each other, in the wrong part of the country and for no apparent reason other than that it needs to happen to continue the story. Whilst Kate grows up knowing only poverty and servitude, Josie's world is one of privilege and luxury. Although the reader can see the way the book will go the reader stays interested and needs to find out how things unwind.

The 103 third parties who use cookies on this service do so for their purposes of displaying and measuring personalized ads, generating audience insights, and developing and improving products.I never truly liked Josie, raised as a lady, because she is unthinking, hypercritical, and selfish, but I came to appreciate her flawed but contrite nature. She is married with two grown-up children and four grandchildren, and now lives in Dorset on the beautiful Jurassic Coast with her husband. until a chance meeting forces them to face the truth of that night nearly twenty years before a truth turning both their worlds upside down and maybe breaking up their friendship for ever.

A lot of drama and twists of fate before the happy ending coupled with an unexpected turn-around in circumstances.She lived in the rat infested stables with the smell of horses clinging to her hair and clothes, while Josephine Damerell, the spoilt, petted and over-indulged daughter of the house, dwelt in luxury. I especially appreciated the clear presentation of the way different strata of society lived, demonstrated both in description and simple comments about how only the wealthy have the luxury of not knowing how much coin they possess. Kate, on the other hand, takes charge of every circumstance with her practical hard working personality, overcoming every obstacle except her sense of place.