A book as lovely as its title.  Like Corelli’s Mandolin and Birds without Wings,  de Bernieres describes how lives are affected by war.  This time he focuses on England before, during and after World War I.  Mr. and Mrs. McCosh and their four daughters live an almost idyllic life on the outskirts of London before The Great War.  Once war begins, all of their lives change in large and small ways.  De Bernieres writes with clarity and compassion about love, family and friendship in a time of upheaval.  I thought this was a wonderful work of historic fiction; however, I must confess that I skimmed several chapters that described wartime aviation.