This book is set in the Napoleonic wars in Spain and follows the fate of a young soldier John Lacroix recovering from battle with a secret about what happened in a Spanish village. He is warned by a fellow officer that the army are coming to get him back to fight again so he takes off to Scotland.

This is quite a slow moving tale but very enjoyable. The descriptions of the places and the historical detail are excellent. I loved the growing relationship between John and Emily who he meets in the Hebrides.