In "The Red-haired Miss Daintreys," four six-foot-tall sisters capture the imagination of young Rebecca when she and her family are on holiday. Beautifully crafted and informed by Lehmann's eye for telling detail, it is a moving meditation on familial ties, romantic love, and the end of an era. In "When the Waters Came" and "A Dream of Winter," both the deprivations of war and a swarm of bees take their toll on the inhabitants of a small English village--afflicting one family in particular. "Wonderful Holidays" is the tale of a divorced woman who cares for two children while a wounded veteran of World War I longs for his absent wife. And the title story is an exploration of the unlikely friendship between two families--one privileged, one poor--and the tragedy that ensues when a band of gypsies sets up camp on the outskirts of town.

These five stories will sweep readers into a world where grieving is a necessary part of the human condition and love can flourish in the most unexpected places. Morality, the class system, the grim realities of war, love and loss--Lehmann's trademark themes are on vivid display in this remarkable collection.