Abused, assaulted and forced into near-slavery by her alcoholic mother, young Susie Caddy flees her home in the slums of the industrial north-east of England to begin a new life with a respectable middle-class family in London, where she blossoms into a beautiful young woman. But Susie's troubles are just beginning. Having been swept off her feet by a man who turns out to be a faithless bully, she finds love amid the bombs and blackouts of Second World War London, only to encounter tragedy and heartbreak. It is not until the dust has settled on the conflict that Susanne, as she is now known, is presented with the chance of peace, love and happiness from an unexpected source - until her sordid roots threaten to catch up with her.