Although in some ways this felt to be the 'middle' of a longer novel, I felt it lived up to the synopsis offered on the Waterstones website and provided me with a greater appreciation of the work done in those early post war days to honour the dead. The characterisations were interesting and provided the opportunity to feel compassion and anger, anger at some of the 'politics' and posing of a few who should have known and should have behaved better. Nevertheless it remained a gentle read, one illuminating the important work that was done and with the gravity it deserved.