England, 1939. War has broken out, and hundreds of children are evacuated to the countryside to keep them safe from the bombs raining down on the cities. Wrenched from her family in the East End and sent more than a hundred miles away, seven-year-old Pearl Posner must adapt to a new life away from everything familiar. Vivienne's ability to feel love left her the day she learned the truth about her husband, Edmund. As Pearl and Vivi learn how to live together, they discover that they have a connection that runs more deeply than they could ever have guessed-- from before Pearl was born and deep into Vivienne's past.