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Tempus Cross, a Somerset town unable to shake free from its past, where folklore, gossip and hearsay allow fables and legends to thrive. In January 1944, beneath the imposing shadow of the ancient Monte Cassino monastery in southern Italy, British soldier Bertie Harris accepts the hand of friendship from German conscript Kurt Zeigler. Detached from their units, the two men form an unlikely bond, both fearing the charge of desertion if caught wandering the Italian countryside. As night falls, they fill the passing hours by opening up about their pre-war lives, sharing revelations, laughter, regrets and melancholy. In his broad West Country accent, Bertie entrances young Kurt with far-fetched yarns from his beloved hometown: Tempus Cross. In return, Kurt confesses his yearning for the girl he fell in love with and then left behind in German-occupied Guernsey. Tragically, only one of these opposing soldiers will survive their unusual encounter. As peace returns to Europe, the story moves to Tempus Cross, the inhabitants embracing post-war normality, whatever normal is. Here, a mixture of outlandish characters walk us through the decades towards the 21st century, their lives intertwined and threaded together by the events that will shape the future of the town. Watching it all unfold was a young woman, Jean Renouf. Having brought shame upon her family back in her Channel Island home, the disgraced lover of a German soldier flees persecution, seeking to immerse herself into the closed community of Tempus Cross.
