Alice Lacey couldn't be more different from her sisterr-in-law, the bitter, ambitious Cora. And when both women give birth to sons on one chaotic night in Liverpool in 1940, Cora's jealousy and resentment prompt her into an action with the most far-reaching consequences.
Alice's own happiness is soured when her husband, disfigured in an accident, turns against his family. As her marriage slowly begins to disintegrate, Alice looks for a life outside her home, and decides to buy the tiny hairdresser's where she works. But to do this, she must first borrow money from Cora....