Evelyn Wilkinson married Charles Lister-Sinclair just hours before he left for war, unaware that she would never see him again and that she was already carrying his child. When Amelia is born, Charles’s parents refuse to accept that she is their grandchild, so, penniless and afraid, Evelyn moves to the backstreets of Liverpool where she dreams of escaping. Meanwhile, as little Milly grows up she discovers that a world of happiness lies on her doorstep.