'Shouldering the rifles I had given them, the men went walking back down the line against a tide of refugees, heading towards the town and the Russian army. Only Sascha remained. As I looked back, his face became blurred by the falling snowflakes and my tears.'

One Last Summer is the captivating new novel from bestselling author Catrin Collier. From its opening lines, the mesmeric voice of Charlotte von Datski's diary will hold you entranced. Charlotte must live through a series of challenging - and often terrifying - events, as Hitler plunges the world into war...

Allenstein, East Prussia, 1939 - Charlotte's parents hold a glittering ball to mark her eighteenth birthday and to announce her engagement to a Prussian Count. But as they celebrate, Europe teeters on the brink of war and young Charlotte will be forced to leave behind her beloved homeland and flee to England. But she carries a secret that both strengthens and torments her.

Years on, Charlotte's granddaughter, Laura, is shocked when the truth of her grandmother's past comes to light. As Charlotte re-reads her diary and recalls the one great love of her life, she finally faces the demons that have haunted her for over half a century.

CATRIN COLLIER was inspired to write One Last Summer when she discovered the truth about her own maternal family's history.