Though she is still grieving the death of her mother, nineteen-year-old Sally Fuller has little choice but to carry on with the everyday business of life in 1930s Rotherhithe, caring for her father and young brother and sister, spending as much time with her boyfriend Pete as he can spare from his moneymaking schemes.
But at the back of her mind she feels a nagging dissatisfaction - her matter-of-fact relationship with Pete, for instance, bears little resemblance to the romances of her movie-star idols, or even to the colourful liaisons of some of her more adventurous friends.
And what about her more modest hopes for marriage and a baby of her own
Once again, Pete shows little interest. As war grows closer, Sally sees she must focus her mind on keeping those she loves safe and put her own selfish longings behind her. But war changes things …