Sixteen-year-old Julie Beaufort-Stuart is returning to her family's
ancestral home in Perthshire for one last summer. It is not an idyllic
return to childhood. Her grandfather's death has forced the sale of the
house and estate and this will be a summer of goodbyes. Not least to the
McEwen family - Highland travellers who have been part of the landscape
for as long as anyone can remember - loved by the family, loathed by the
authorities. Tensions are already high when a respected London archivist
goes missing, presumed murdered. Suspicion quickly falls on the McEwens
but Julie knows not one of them would do such a thing and is determined
to prove everyone wrong. And then she notices the family's treasure
trove of pearls is missing.
This beautiful and evocative novel is the story of the irrepressible and
unforgettable Julie, set in the year before the Second World War and the
events of Code Name Verity. It is also a powerful portrayal of a
community under pressure and one girl's determination for justice.