Emma Smith and her family leave their home in Great Western Beach and move to Crapstone, a village in Devonshire. Unfortunately, tragedy strikes as Emma’s father, a decorated hero from World War I, suffers a breakdown due to frustration from his low-ranking bank job and unfulfilled artistic aspirations. However, Emma’s mother rises to the challenge and becomes the family’s backbone. In 1939, the Second World War broke out. Emma’s sister enlists in the Women’s Auxiliary Air Force, while her brother joins the Royal Air Force after initially declaring himself a pacifist.Meanwhile, Emma, at sixteen, is unsure of what to do. She attends secretarial college and gets a job with MI5, but finds it dull and yearns for something more. Eventually, she takes on a job as a crew member on a canal boat, which gives her the freedom she craves. After the war, Emma travels and has various adventures, including falling in love and writing her first novel.
