Can an alliance of convenience heal two broken hearts? Liverpool, 1958 Hope Bennett longs to feel safe and wanted. Loyal to an alcoholic mother who gambles away all her hard-earned wages, she's devastated by the announcement her family is moving and she's not to follow. But her despondent plan to fling herself off the ferry and succumb to the freezing River Mersey is interrupted by a handsome older man. John Walker expects to live out the rest of his days drowning in grief, isolated and lonely after the loss of his childhood sweetheart. When he spots a young woman in distress he is immediately drawn to help her. Can the fragile dream of a better life out of the slums provide the security and companionship they both crave?