April, 1941. Belfast has escaped the worst of the war - so far. Following the lives of sisters Emma and Audrey - one engaged to be married, the other in a secret relationship with another woman - as they try to survive the horrors of the Belfast Blitz, These Days is an unforgettable novel about lives lived under duress.

The Volunteers were the men and women of the Royal Navy's Special Operations units, carrying out lightning raids on hostile coasts. Each was hand-picked for their individual skills, and all of them were courageous. This is the story of a small group of such people.

But while he seeks to try to help all those around him, he finds himself increasingly beguiled by Oakbourne Hall and by Alice and Stephen, its damaged residents. Facing a bleak, uncertain future, Alice must try to pick up the pieces of her marriage and save Oakbourne Hall from total collapse, beginning with the walled garden.