MY LOVE, MY LAND — Judy Gardiner

In the midst of war-torn Belgium, an unlikely friendship is formed between four women as they struggle to survive the horrors of World War One.Belgium, August 1914.Modest in status but happy in love, Thérèse Aubel waits for her husband of 15 years to return from war.But he never comes home.Alone on her farm one Saturday afternoon, Thérèse hears the sound of distant thunder. But this is no storm, this is an invasion.Dinant is burning in the distance. For a while Thérèse stands motionless, watching the billowing smoke and the shells exploding like brief yellow stars. Then she turns towards home. Thérèse knows what she must do.Thérèse sets fire to everything she has ever known and leaves her home in ashes, with only her wedding photograph for company.To escape the German invaders, Thérèse embarks on a journey to safety where she meets three local women: dressmaker Clothilde, pregnant teenager Yvette, and elderly and confused Grand'mère. Together they seek refuge in an abandoned convent and attempt to build a new life out of the chaos that surrounds them.Different in character but united in their will to survive, the four women's courage and strength is pushed to the limits as they battle to overcome each treacherous obstacle in their path. But will it be enough to survive?