Paths of destiny - E. V. Thompson

1854 - the Crimean War is in full swing. Gideon, a navvy, is helping to organise a contract for a stretch of supply railway line there to transport guns and food to the soldiers. Back home in Cornwall Alice is waiting for him. But her vicar employer has recently died and his replacement doesn't want her. An orphan and ostracised by the rest of the village, she's got nowhere to go. Leaving messages for Gideon's letters to be forwarded on to her, she is taken in by the Sisters of Mercy and finds herself looking after cholera-ridden children in Plymouth. With a shortage of nurses in the Crimea, she finds herself given a chance to see if Gideon loves her as much as she loves him - when they can catch up with each other....

E V Thompson was born in London and spent nine years in the Navy before joining Bristol police. He moved to Hong Kong, then Rhodesia and had over 200 stories published before returning to England to become a full-time award-winning writer. He passed away in 2012.

Combines romance, action and history to weave an amazing story...well researched and the characters are empathetic and believable...a compelling read
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