1909, Northumberland. Shona has always secretly thought of her husband James's fishing boat as the enemy but one day, her worst fears come true. Unjustly blamed for the accident, Shona finds herself alone and friendless. A world away, Harry Darling has achieved wealth and respectability in Durham, but he has never forgotten the poverty he suffered in his childhood - nor the kindness of a young girl, Shona Hardy, who took him in when he needed help. So when a man slips and dies outside his bank and Harry recognizes him as Shona's father, his past and present collide, altering both his and Shona's lives for ever.