If You Go Away

Glamorous debutantes, heartbreak, and discovering just what is worth fighting for in the new historical novel from Sunday Times bestseller Adele Parks.

In 1914, Vivian, a young, impassioned debutante, is hurried into a pedestrian marriage to cover a scandal. War breaks out on her wedding day, both domestically and across Europe. Quick to escape the disappointment of matrimony, her traditionalist husband immediately enlists, leaving Vivian with no alternative but to take up the management and running of his estate—after all, everyone is required to do their bit, even pretty, inadequately educated young wives.

Howard, a brilliant young playwright, rushes to the front to witness the best and worst of humanity; he cannot imagine what the horror might be. In March 1916, when conscription becomes law, it is no longer enough for him to report on the war; it is a legal requirement that he joins.