When young Maeve Brannigan arrives in Birmingham in 1930, having left her family farm in Donegal, she can't believe her luck when she meets and falls in love with Brendan Hogan. But as they settle into married life it soon becomes clear that Brendan is not the man she thought he was. After one horrific spate of abuse, Maeve takes her children and returns to Donegal. But it's not long before the close-knit Catholic community make it clear that Maeve must make the best of her marriage. How much longer can she endure the torments of a man she has grown to hate?