In 1944, during the Second World War, Clara and two other young women work on a farm, as part of the Women's Land Army. Clara enjoys the lifestyle and the hard work helps her get through each day. No matter how busy she is though, she can never forget the horror she faced seven years earlier.

Her family was a happy one, with Clara and Ruth gradually taking over the running of the teashop in Lindari, a pretty country town set in beautiful green hills. Their father died when Clara was only four but she remembers him still. When their mother died they still managed to keep the business running and their life was quiet and pleasant, until one night everything changed and Clara was left alone and devastated.