England, 1935. The Retreat is a popular seaside hotel on the Somerset coast. The family-owned hotel is run by Donald and Ruth Elkins, their three daughters, and Clover, their delightfully eccentric grandmother. Charlotte, the eldest daughter, is hoping that the local blacksmith will propose to her soon. Josie, at 15, is more interested in the excitement of the annual fair, and in particular, the boy who is in charge of the Dodg?em cars. Milly, aged 10, has high hopes of going to the grammar school when she passes the entrance exams. Clover, although well-loved, is a constant worry to the family by her nightly wandering along the seafront in all weathers. One night, a violent storm sweeps up the Channel, demolishing Braydon's sea wall and flooding the surrounding low-lying areas, including The Retreat. Worse is to follow when the main floor of the hotel collapses and bones are discovered in the disused cellars. Even though the bones are proved not to be human, rumours quickly abound that the hotel has been cursed by bad luck. The Elkins family faces ruin, and it seems that only a miracle can save them.