It is the long hot summer of 1796. In Devonshire, fourteen-year-old Sarah lives on the large farm, which has been home to countless generations of her late mother’s family.

Her father is a strict head of his household and workforce. Born and bred in a Somersetshire town, he clearly has no love for his rural home and lifestyle. Although often privately resentful of his rules, Sarah, along with everyone else, knows she must do as she is told.

Throughout her childhood, she has quietly accepted that no one is ever allowed to mention her mother. In addition she has always managed to hide her frustration at being prevented from working in the farmhouse or out on the land. But now to her utter dismay, she has learned her father intends to send her away to a boarding school for young ladies. This is the final straw for Sarah and she finds herself becoming increasingly rebellious.

One day, with her father supervising the harvest, a gentleman calls at the farmhouse. When he speaks fondly of her mother, Sarah warms to him. But later the purpose of his visit devastates her.

This book can be enjoyed as a stand-alone novel but it also serves as the first instalment of the four-part series A Long Way Back.