On a rainy winter night in 809, an unconscious man is taken to a house in Somerset. He is Captain John Lacroix, returning home from England's failed campaign against Napoléon's forces in Spain. Lacroix gradually regains his health, but not his peace of mind. He cannot talk about the battle or what happened during the retreat. When he is ordered to return to his regiment, he escapes and heads for the Scottish islands. But he doesn't realize that he is dragging something more terrible in his wake: A vicious English corporal with secret orders and a Spanish officer are after him. A man shattered by what he has witnessed is on a journey that leads to unexpected friendships and even love. But freedom will come at a heavy price.

"Brilliant... A nuanced novel that alternates between idyllic comedy, passionate love story and menacing suspense. " -Observer

"As always, Miller recreates the past so vividly that reading this novel is like being there." -Times

"Miller's beautiful prose is a joy to read, and this gripping novel, brimming with historical detail, is as suspenseful as a thriller."
-Mail on Sunday