The author of Water for Elephants again creates an irresistible period piece with this tale set in the Scottish Highlands during World War II. Socialite Madeline Hyde reluctantly follows her husband Ellis and his friend Hank to the tiny village of Drumnadrochit, ostensibly to find the Loch Ness monster. The locals have nothing but contempt for the interlopers, and while Ellis and Hank go monster-hunting, Maddie is left on her own at the isolated inn, where food is rationed, fuel is scarce, and a knock from the postman can bring tragic news. Yet she finds herself falling in love with the Scottish countryside, and the friendships she forms with two young women open her up to a larger world than she knew existed.