Toby's Room

It continues to follow the fortunes of a group of students and teachers of the Slade School of Fine Art during the First World War.

The novel falls into two distinct parts covering two time periods – 1912 and 1917 Elinor Brooke, student at Slade, is home for the weekend from her studies in London, along with her older siblings Rachel and Toby.

She seeks the help of her former Slade lover Paul Tarrant, wounded in battle, and best friend Catherine, to find out what really happened to Toby, no matter what the truth is.

Neville is reluctant to tell Toby's story, and in the meantime Elinor agrees to join Tonks in helping to draw the patients there.

Kit struggles through his surgery and recovery, slowly revealing to the reader, and finally to Paul, that Toby's cavalier attitude towards putting his men in danger by taking massive risks took his toll on Neville, and when he caught Toby having sex with a stable boy he reported him.

His superior officer gave Toby a choice between court martial and 'doing the right thing', i.e. killing himself in No Man's Land and being labelled a hero.

Toby's Room received a generally good reception, especially when it came to talking about the themes of what a female artist does in wartime, and how one deals with those who are disfigured and suffering as a result of war.