The publication of The Loneliness of Survival coincided with the centenary of the start of World War One.  On 14th of October 2019, it has been republished by HQ at HarperCollins as Beyond the Storm. This is the same book and it is available as an e-book from October and a paperback from 12th of December 2019.

Anna is born in 1914. Her life is inextricably linked with the events and effects of both world wars. Her happy, care-free childhood and youth in Vienna are threatened by the rise of the Nazis and increasing anti-Semitism. A naive affair sends her life into a downward spiral. She is forced to make a terrible choice – one which will colour the rest of her long life.

A traumatised refugee and widow, adrift in wartime Palestine, Anna meets Sam, a senior British army officer. They fall unexpectedly, miraculously, and passionately in love. But Sam is posted to post-war Germany, where Anna and their baby son must join him.

Can their marriage and family survive the many challenges of their complex life together? Above all, can they survive the tragic secret which Anna carries deep within herself, a secret which has tormented her for so many years?

Beyond the Storm is a story of displacement and loss, the pain of social exclusion, and whether ultimately trauma can be overcome by the bonds of love.

Read the opening extract

‘…one of the strengths of this novel is its emotional force and especially its warmth. There are so many wonderful, heart-warming moments. It moved me to tears on one occasion..!’

Helen Gordon, Author and Editor, The Literary Consultancy

‘All the trauma, loss and far-reaching consequences of World War Two encapsulated in one woman’s life. Diana Finley’s elegant, restrained style packs a powerful emotional punch as she takes us on Anna’s journey, which carries both a devastating secret and an extraordinary love story at its heart.’

Ann Coburn, Author and Playwright