A brilliant read for anyone old enough to remember the second world war, and a wonderful source of information for those who are not. It highlights exactly the lives of ordinary people and what it was like to live in a world which was totally different from what we know today. Nella must have been a wonderful person in her very restrained way with a personality which would have been even better had she been able to live her life with freedom as she would in the present day. I have not read anything about past times which is as enthralling as this book and have now started reading the book about the 'peace' which is the sequel.