I had seen the film with Kate Blanchett a long time ago. I came across the book and decided to read it. I liked it very much. The story takes place mostly in France during WWII. Charlotte is a young Scottish girl who feels a deep need to make a difference somehow. She is recruited by one of the "secret agent" organizations in Britain. Her experiences help her to sort out her own fears and struggles and in the end, she achieves a peace of her own. While I found the love story a little fraught, there was a certain charm to the urgency of their wartime romance. More than Charlotte's story alone, it is the story of France under German occupation. There is some good history - discussion of Petain and his government and the accommodations that were made with Germany. The story of Jewish discrimination and deportation is well told and put in context both socially and politically. I really enjoyed this book. *Confession: I prefer the ending of the film - it's more romantic - if not more plausible.