Katy, maidservant at Cheadle Manor, longs to escape her narrow life but events unfold slowly in her rural village. Finally, frustrated by personal tragedy and the shackles that continue to bind her, she becomes a mechanic in the WAAC as part of the British Expeditionary Force. Through the horrors of WW1 she discovers only love brings freedom.
Long description: In this heartbreaking romance feisty heroine, Katy, dreams of a better life than just being a domestic servant at Cheadle Manor. Her one attempt to escape is thwarted when her flirtation with the manor’s heir results in a scandal that shocks the local community.
Jem Beagle has always loved Katy. His offer of marriage rescues her but personal tragedy divides them. Jem leaves his beloved Wiltshire to become reluctant soldier on the battlefields of The First World War. Katy is left behind, restless and alone.
Lionel White, the local curate, has just returned from India bringing a dash of colour to the small village and offers Katy a window on the wider world.
Katy decides she has to play her part in a world at arms and joins up as a WAAC girl. She finally breaks free from the stifling class-ridden hierarchies that bind her but the brutality of 20th century global war brings home the price she has paid for her search.
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