1990, Blackpool. 33-year-old Helen Burnside is shocked when she learns that her beloved Great Aunt Alice has died of a sudden heart attack, and even more surprised when Alice's will reveals that she has bequeathed her Yorkshire cottage to Helen. Although Helen was close to her aunt, Alice was an enigmatic figure, estranged from most of her family. What led to the long-held animosity between Alice, her mother, Ada and her sister, Lizzie, and why did she leave Blackpool for Yorkshire all those years ago?

Moving into Alice's cottage in the small Yorkshire village of Thornbeck, Helen uncovers a series of devastating family secrets dating back to the Second World War. But as Helen starts to piece together the truth about her aunty's life, it seems her own is about to travel in unexpected and life-changing directions.