White Ravens

the long version

"Two stories, two different times, but the thread of an ancient tale runs through the lives of twenty-first century farmer’s daughter Rhian and the mysterious Branwen…After being wounded in Italy, Matthew O’Connell is seeing out WWII in an obscure government department spreading rumours and myths to the enemy. But when he’s given the bizarre task of escorting a box containing six raven chicks from a remote hill farm to the Tower of London, he becomes part of a story over which he seems to have no control."--Publisher's description.