The war is drawing to a close, but life for the Caldwell sisters is far from peaceful.
Still waiting for her fianc, James, to return from fighting in North Africa, Imogen focuses her attention on driving for the Auxiliary Territorial Service General. Between work and looking out for her sisters, she soon finds she has very little time left over to worry.
Meanwhile, Elsie continues to nurse her husband back to health, finally content with her quiet family life in Yorkshire. But she is nostalgic for happier times, before the war, and longs to be reunited with her sisters again.
Daisy is also desperate for an end to the war she fears for her love, Glenn, and longs to see him return home safely. In these uncertain times, she needs all the support Imogen and Elsie can give to her.
When yet another tragedy befalls the Caldwell family, will the sisters be able to lift each other up to carry on?
Review
When I started Dreams of Peace by Rowena Summers, I expected a pleasant wartime story, but it quickly turned into something much more moving. Set as the Second World War is drawing to a close, the novel looks at what happens after the fighting begins to end. Peace might be on the way, but for the Caldwell family life is still uncertain and full of challenges. From the first few chapters I felt drawn into their world and wanted to know what would happen to them all.
The story centres on the three Caldwell sisters, and each of them has her own struggles to face. Imogen is busy serving in the Auxiliary Territorial Service while desperately hoping her fiancé will come home safely. Elsie is trying to care for her injured husband and rebuild their life together, even though nothing feels the same anymore. Daisy, the youngest, is living with constant worry about the man she loves. I enjoyed getting to know all three women and seeing how differently they handled fear, hope, and responsibility.
What really stood out to me was how real the emotions felt. Summers shows that the end of a war doesn’t magically make everything better. Families are tired, relationships have changed, and people have to learn how to live normal lives again. There were moments in the book that felt quietly heartbreaking, but there were also plenty of warm and hopeful scenes that balanced everything nicely.
I also appreciated the way the historical setting was handled. The everyday details of life in the 1940s felt natural and believable rather than forced in for effect. Rationing, work duties, and the long wait for news from loved ones are all woven into the story in a way that made me feel as if I was really there with the characters. The writing style is gentle and easy to read, which suited the family-focused nature of the book.
By the end, I felt genuinely attached to the Caldwell sisters and satisfied with how their journeys unfolded. Dreams of Peace is a warm, thoughtful novel about love, family, and finding strength in difficult times. If you enjoy historical fiction with strong characters and plenty of heart, this is definitely a book worth picking up.
This book has just been added to my to-read list. It sounds great.
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