The Rose Villa
The Rose Villa is a gorgeous read, a historical romance spanning the years between 1918 and 1944. The two protagonists, Kit and Flora, battle their own troubles to live a meaningful life impacted by both World Wars and the Spanish Civil War.
Flora served as a VAD nurse in France during the First World War. Her brief romance with Kit, a wounded soldier, is discovered, and she is sent home to Glasgow in disgrace. Kit, her lover, remains in France and lives a vagabond life as an artist for many years, as he struggles to come to terms with the after-effects of his experiences during the war and his heartbreak over Flora.
Flora and Kit meet again during the Spanish Civil War, helping refugees cross the border into France. They rekindle their romance and work together in the South of France during the Second World War, helping displaced people and refugees. Separated once more, Kit works with the French Resistance while Flora takes refuge in Spain. Will they ever find each other again?
Leah Fleming brilliantly describes the settings in this novel. Readers will feel they could walk with Flora through poverty-stricken Glasgow in the 1920s, and journey with her to the luscious Languedoc. The main characters are strongly depicted, and you will enjoy this love story between Kit and Flora, whom fate has determined to keep apart.
