This is a wonderful story of one family's loves and losses. In this book, we again meet Noel Keeling (first introduced in the Shell Seekers). Although his character is not the central one in this book, we see him grow from the self-absorbed man that he is to someone who learns that friendship, family, and love is more important than money. He is dating a girl whose family is the central theme of this book, and gets drawn into her life in a way he never expected. Another exceptional book by Rosamunde Pilcher.