Effie's War

November 1943, the Scottish Highlands Effie's father has received notice to quit Kirk Farm, their family home. And every other farm and household in the area has had the same instruction. They all have one month to leave, to sell or move their livestock and harvest what they can. For Effie, the upheaval brings her close to Toni – a handsome Italian POW sent to help out on the farm. Reverend Walter Smith – the local minister – is excited too, but for very different reasons. Handpicked by Hitler before the war and now integrated into British society, he senses that the secret to make the Führer proud is finally within his grasp. Something momentous is underway in this remote corner of the Highlands and he must find out what. That secret is held by Captain Armstrong, newly billeted at Kirk Farm. He's there to scope out places to rehearse the D-Day landings. But when Toni inadvertently passes on information about Operation Overlord, the race is on to block it from Reverend Smith – and from Hitler himself ... Philip Paris's powerful new novel is based on events of almost 75 years ago, when an entire region of the Highlands was cleared to allow preparations for one of the greatest secrets of the Second World War. Evocative and deeply memorable, it captures the emotions, dangers and atmosphere of those days when the world faced its darkest hour. The Scottish Highlands, 1943A family torn apart by the secrets of war. In a remote corner of Scotland something momentous is underway. When Effie's father receives a government notice to quit Kirk Farm, the lives of the Ross family and those of the whole community are utterly disrupted. But for Effie – irrepressible, beautiful, vital – wartime changes bring her close to Toni, an Italian prisoner of war sent to work on the farm. Before long, the young couple are planning a future together when the war is finally over. It's a future that's under threat from the start. For there are those among them who cannot quite be trusted. Someone is determined to find out what lies behind the upheaval – and to pass those secrets into enemy hands. To stop them will create devastation beyond anything anyone could have imagined. Based on true events of the Second World War, this evocative novel captures the emotions, dangers and atmosphere of the days when the world faced its darkest hour. From the bestselling author of The Italian Chapel and Casting Off (as P.I. Paris), Philip Paris reveals the depths to which human beings are driven to by passion, loyalty and resentment.'Effie's War is an intriguing, twisting and turning journey and an outstanding page-turner that you won't be able to put down.'– MILLIE GRAY, author of Silver Linings "November 1943. In the Scottish Highlands. Effie's father has received notice to quit Kirk Farm, their family home. And every other farm and household in the area has had the same instruction. They all have one month to leave, to sell or move their livestock and harvest what they can. For Effie, the upheaval brings her close to Toni - a handsome Italian POW sent to help out on the farm. Reverend Walter Smith - the local minister - is excited too, but for very different reasons. Handpicked by Hitler before the war and now integrated into British society, he senses that the secret to make the Führer proud is finally within his grasp. Something momentous is underway in this remote corner of the Highlands and he must find out what. That secret is held by Captain Armstrong, newly billeted at Kirk Farm. He's there to scope out places to rehearse the D-Day landings. But when Toni inadvertently passes on information about Operation Overlord, the race is on to block it from Reverend Smith - and from Hitler himself ..."--Provided by publisher November 1943. In the Scottish Highlands, Effie Ross's father has received a notice from the authorities to quit Kirk Farm. They have just one month to leave, to sell or move their livestock and harvest anything they can. And every other farm and household in the area has had the same instruction. For Effie, it's a chance to get to know Toni, an Italian POW sent to help out on the farm and the attraction is undeniable. Based on real events when an entire Highland neighbourhood was cleared to allow preparations for one of the greatest secrets of the Second World War, Philip Paris's new novel evokes a time when Britain could have been invaded at any moment but stood strong in her darkest hour