Liverpool, 1940: When her childhood sweetheart is killed in action, Maxine Grey loses more than her husband - she loses her best friend. Desperate to make a difference in this awful war, she takes a nursing job at London's St. Thomas' Hospital. A Broken Heart: Maxine takes comfort in the attentions of a handsome surgeon, but Edwin Blake might not be all he seems. As the Blitz descends on the capital, Maxine returns to Liverpool heartbroken and surrounded by the threat of scandal. A Brave Spirit: When offered a job at a Dr. Barnardo's orphanage, Maxine hopes this is the second chance she has been looking for. And one little boy in particular helps her to realise that she needs the orphans just as much as they need her.