Two women six decades apart, and the secret that binds them together . . .
In 1944 sixteen-year-old Violet Shine fell in love. For Violet, it was a pure, passionate love that would never die. But when the affair was discovered by her strict parents, beautiful young Violet found herself imprisoned in the tower of their rambling cliff-top home, Whitecliff.
Sixty years later, Claudine Armstrong is involved in the sale of the now derelict Whitecliff. Rumours have long surrounded the house; rumours that Claudine always dismissed as idle gossip. But one visit is all it takes to draw her into Violet's story.
At a turning point in her life, Claudine is unsure about her marriage, her career, her future direction. As her world becomes entwined with Violet's, it seems that the secret locked away all those years ago could be the very thing which sets Claudine free . . .
Deirdre Purcell was born and brought up in Dublin, and educated there and in a County Mayo convent. Before turning to the writing of fiction, she lived through an eclectic set of careers, including acting, as a member of the permanent company of Ireland's National Theatre (The Abbey), and journalism for all media - for which she won Ireland's top awards.