1940, Stretton Village, Cambridgeshire. The start of the war and the tragic loss of their beloved father marks the end of an era for the Searles family as their children embark on their adult lives. Eldest sister Frances is about to marry her childhood sweetheart. But with Marcus Danby now a fighter pilot, his fate hangs in the balance. Will he return from war for their happy ever after? Meanwhile youngest daughter Emily is swept off her feet by a dashing young officer, but does she really know him? Brother Daniel has joined up, but not before falling in love with a local kitchen girl Alice. Against the backdrop of war is there hope of a future for them? And then there are those siblings left behind. Clay and Henry working the land in trying times, and Connor too young to serve, but suddenly abandoned by the family he counted on. With only a gold-digging mother-in-law to advise them, these siblings are all in danger of making rash decisions that don't bode well for their futures. . .