Because of the deception of a Boston society woman's husband, she is forced to flee for her life, taking her two children with her on a perilous journey to Halifax, Nova Scotia on board a rum-runner's "fishing" vessel. They begin life in Halifax in 1912, making a complete break with their family back home so that no one knows where they've disappeared to. The son, Alex, finds work at the Halifax Shipyards and learns wireless telegraphy; he joins the Canadian Navy and witnesses the dangers of Atlantic crossings during WW I. Because of his dual status, he is accused of sabotage when the Halifax Explosion of 1917 occurs, totally devastating the city. The Boston Medical Team of the Red Cross come to the aid of the injured and a bond develops between Alex and a nurse, Beth. The mother, Annie, finds work in a chocolate factory with her maid, Brigitte, as she becomes adapted to her reduced circumstances. Her deceptive husband is stopped at the Canadian border and eventually dies in a Prisoner of War camp in Regina. However, her first husband proves to be just as elusive and troublesome as her recent ex. Many plot twists.