Two years of war have taken a terrible toll to Pearl Street,Bootle. German bombshave reduced some of the houses to rubble and most of the inhabitants have lost close friends and relatives. While sisters Eileen and Sheila share the anxious burden of absent husbands, the conflict for others brings excitement and freedom.Kitty Quigly, stuck at home for years with her invalid father, Jimmy, is forced to register for war work and is delighted to become an auxillary nurse. But as Kitty blossoms, jimmy finds his own life turned completely upside down. Living in the peace and quiet of the countryside,Jessica fleming finds herself drawn inexorably back to the street where she was born.