"I was in Paris the day the French Army was mobilized."

In 1914, while visiting her friend Madeleine, Lady Elspeth Douglas's life is thrown into chaos when war breaks out and the Germans quickly overrun Belgium, threatening France. Having just agreed to marry Alain, Madeleine's dashing brother, Lady Elspeth watches him leave to join his unit, and then she sets out for England, only to find herself trapped on the French coast.

Caught amid a sea of stranded travelers, terrified refugees, and wounded men overflowing the port of Calais, the restless Elspeth—daughter of a Highland aristocrat whose distinguished family can trace its roots back to the court of Mary, Queen of Scots—decides to make herself useful, carrying water to weary soldiers near the Front. It is an act of charity that almost gets her killed when enemy shells begin to explode around her.

To her rescue comes Captain Peter Gilchrist, who pulls her away from the battle and leads her to safety. But before they can properly say good-bye, Elspeth and Peter are separated.

Back in London, surrounded by familiar comforts, Elspeth is haunted by the horrors she witnessed in France. She also cannot forget the gallant Peter Gilchrist, even though she has promised herself to Alain.

Transformed by her experience, Elspeth goes to London and enrolls in a nursing course, where she meets a fellow nurse in training, Bess Crawford. It is a daring move, made without the consent of Elspeth's guardian, her cousin Kenneth, a high-handed man with rigid notions of class and femininity.

Yet Elspeth Douglas is a woman with a mind of her own, which—as she herself says—is a blessing and a curse. She is determined to return to the battlefields of France to do her part . . . and to find the man she has no right to love, no matter how far Cousin Kenneth may go to stop her. But before she can set things right with Alain, he goes missing and then Peter is gravely wounded. In a world full of terror and uncertainty, can the sweetness of love survive or will Elspeth's troubled heart become another casualty of this terrible war?

Review

War breaks out in Paris while Lady Elspeth is visiting Madeleine Villard, an old friend from school.  The carefree visit with dinners and dances turns dangerous, but Elspeth keeps her promise to wait to return home until after Madeleine’s baby is born.  Even though she is unofficially betrothed to Madeleine’s brother Alain Montigny, Elspeth finds herself falling in love with family friend Captain Peter Gilchrist, after the two of them survive a life-threatening event. However, Lady Elspeth puts thoughts of love aside and enrolls in a nursing program so she can help the many wounded soldiers in desperate need medical care.

This is unheard of for a young woman of her station, but Lady Elspeth doesn’t care what society believes. She is determined to create a life for herself and to contribute to the war effort, in spite of the danger. She also knows her cousin and guardian Kenneth will put a stop to her plans if he finds out, so she is determined to keep this part of her life secret.

There is a lot going on in this romantic story set during World War I.  Much of The Walnut Tree describes what life is like during this time period and it’s demonstrated by Elspeth’s feelings of being caught between two worlds. Her former self enjoyed flirting and dancing, and she was cooked for and waited on by servants. It is this highborn Elspeth who becomes promised to Alain. Now that Paris is at war, Elspeth puts her pampered life behind to dress wounds and hold the hands of dying soldiers. She looks upon her old life as frivolous and becomes more and more attracted to Peter. However as new circumstances arise, she feels certain she can never turn her back on the promises she made to Alain. I admire her loyalty, but wish she had been more straightforward in her dealings with both Alain and Peter instead of biting her tongue and making herself miserable.

The story of female nursing during the war is a major part of The Walnut Tree and it’s interesting to learn about Elspeth’s training and nursing duties. Readers of Charles Todd’s Bess Crawford series will be pleased to see Bess and her London flatmates make appearances in Elspeth’s adventures.  Elspeth’s Scottish heritage is also important to the story and shows how clan loyalties didn’t always mesh with rules of the Army.

In addition to these storylines, there is another subplot in which Elspeth helps Scotland Yard stop a ring of looters who have taken advantage of the chaos of war to steal. While the historical details fit with the overall picture of the war times, having Elspeth involved in thwarting the thieves is just a bit too much and detracts from the more important parts of the story.

The Walnut Tree is not a typical holiday story. With the backdrop of war, there is much sadness and suffering, but Elspeth experiences a beautiful event on Christmas Eve that stays in her heart forever and influences the outcome of the book. Those who enjoy Anne Perry’s works will appreciate this romantic story by Charles Todd.

Reviewed by Christine

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