On village greens throughout Britain, stone memorials stand witness to the Great War and its terrible cost in human life. The remote Devon village of Shallowford is no exception. Many of its men fail to return, and many of those who do are forced to adapt painfully to the changing conditions of country life.

As the aftermath of one war gives way to the gathering storm of the next, it is Paul Craddock's faith and firmness that help Shallowford to overcome slump and misery, and to face new dangers with confidence and courage.