Dotty, Lucy and Annabelle all turn up for work at Coventry's department store Owen Owen at the same time as war is declared. Dotty has never known a life outside of the orphanage where she grew up. Lucy is the sole carer of her little sister; she's head of the home now that her brother has gone to war. So she seeks out a job at Owen Owen. Annabelle has led a life of privilege but everyone's having to pinch the pennies at the moment. The well-off are no exception, much to Annabelle's annoyance. As the trials and devastating effects of war come to bear on the three women, their bond deepens.