Publisher's Synopsis
Set mainly amidst the dramatic scenery of the French Alps, rape, murder and the brutality of war wreak havoc with the lives of the Lochu and Montalant families. Marie's infidelity and subsequent guilt threaten to destroy her marriage to Gerard when he returns from the war in Algeria. His initial anger turns to despair; he leaves the family home to find solace in the mountains. Much later, Sophie, the result of Marie's adultery, discovers the secret of her birth and becomes a troubled and rebellious teenager. She embarks on a quest to find the man who seduced her mother. Deaths caused by an avalanche threaten the successful and fast-growing family-run mountain guiding and skiing business, whilst in Languedoc a tragic cycling accident on a summer's day jeopardises the hoped-for future of a young family.
