Having led a sheltered life, Cassie finds herself alone in a strange city for the first time.  Half way between a daughter on the verge of starting her own adult life, and a husband she cannot go back to, Cassie is torn between two worlds.  Having decided she belongs to neither of these, she meets the colourful Louise and her son Nick, who quickly help her discover what she needs to make a new life for herself in Christchurch.  As Cassie finds her feet she faces the challenges of a past that will not leave her alone, and a young man who wants more from her than she is willing to give.