North Wales, 1918

The guns in Europe have fallen silent but for Alma peace brings only hardship. After welcome independence as a munitions’ worker, she is trapped by a painful arrangement with Bron, the man who saved her family from destitution. And for Jack, a Canadian soldier who fought for Britain, it means degradation in the overcrowded, feverish repatriation camp where thousands wait for the chance to sail home.

When Alma and Jack meet in the shanty town which serves the camp, their love becomes the one chance of escape. But dreams are fragile. Ships across the Atlantic are delayed time and again, Spanish ‘flu spreads and the men – their bravery ignored – are mutinous.

Inspired by the true and largely forgotten events of the Kinmel Park mutiny, What The Ocean Keeps is an intimate, unforgettable love story that weaves a woman’s search for freedom with a soldier’s struggle to return home as the world reels in the aftermath of war and pandemic.

‘A compelling, beautifully written and almost unbearably poignant love story that shines a light on the forgotten aftermath of war. Tender, lyrical and heartbreaking, with characters I’ll remember for a long time.’ FRANCES QUINN, best-selling author of The Lost Passenger

‘What The Ocean Keeps is both a love story carved from the wreckage of war and a forgotten chapter of history that deserves to be remembered. Beautifully rendered, tender, fierce; a story that will stay with you long after the final page.’  JULES HAYES, best-selling author

'You get quickly swept up in Laura's storytelling, immersed in rich detail and comprehensive research which brings this lesser-known time post WW1 to light. Stunning.' LISA BRACE, award winning author