At the end of World War II, Rebecca Lawson, orphaned and homeless, returns to London to live and work with her aunt and uncle at the Unicorn, their East End pub. Then one fateful day, Ian Beresford walks into the bar and eighteen-year-old Rebecca, longing for security and a home of her own, falls deeply in love.
But lan, so sensitive and caring, disappears and Rebecca discovers to her horror that she's pregnant. Frantic with worry, she travels to his family home in Stoke-on-Trent to try and find him. Awaiting her there is the shocking news of an appalling tragedy.
As once again Rebecca picks up the shattered pieces of her life, she makes the difficult and brave decision to keep her baby. Despite scandal, prejudice and her own heartbreak, can she put the past behind her and find happiness after all?