1945 - the war in Europe is over. It should be a time of utter joy and celebration. Most women can't wait for their men to return, but in the small town of Rivenshaw in Lancashire, Judith Crossley fears having her husband back in the house. He'd grown into a bully and a drunkard, and on the occasions he'd come home from leave, he'd hit her. He wasn't a good father, either. Luckily Judith has found an unlikely ally, a friend to turn to - Maynard Esher, from an old aristocratic family on the other side of town. But Judith knows that when her husband returns, she and her children will be back in the firing line again.

She decides that for the children's sake, she must leave her husband. But with the house rented in his name and other accommodation scarce, where on earth can they go...?