Neither Present Time

Can a house save the lives of the people who live in it? Can an inscription written in a book over sixty years ago change the fates of people not even born when it was written?

Beryl Gray is solid and dependable – her partner, Claire, thinks so, her family thinks so, her colleagues think so. She has a long-term relationship and a job she likes as a university librarian. Her life seems settled, content – except nothing is as it seems.

Aggie Bishop's last girlfriend left her three years ago and she hasn't had a date since. Her life now revolves around work and taking care of her great-aunt Cory who doesn't want to be taken care of. Aunt Cory still lives in the run-down mansion that the rest of the family wants to sell if they can only get the old lady into a nursing home. Aggie is all that stands between them and her great-aunt.

When Beryl finds a book with a romantic inscription dated 1945, the events that follow will change the lives of all three women forever.

Spanning decades, this enchanting tale reminds us that some loves never fade and that sometimes, home truly is where the heart lies.

Words: 81,070 (approximate)