The story follows Harry Clifton, a boy from a poor family in Bristol who grows up believing his father died in the war. As he matures, hidden truths about his identity begin to surface and change the course of his life.
Harry earns a scholarship to a prestigious school, where he befriends Giles Barrington, a wealthy boy from a powerful family. He also falls in love with Emma Barrington, Giles’s sister, creating tension between the two families.
As the story unfolds, secrets, class differences, love, betrayal, and major historical events—especially the World Wars—shape the characters’ destinies.