When German shells hit Hartlepool in 1914, the lives of everyone in the small coastal town are changed forever. With letters from the Front being the only contact she has with husband, George, and both parents now dead, Martha, a naive, young mother, is forced to stand on her own two feet and rebuild her world. In her struggle to become independent, she is devastated to learn that not everyone can be trusted to have her best interests at heart, especially those closest to her. George returns home In 1916, apparently suffering from shell shock, and she finds her loyalty to him tested to the limit against everyone's accusations of cowardice. But will she still defend her husband when she discovers the secrets he is keeping?