Janey's journey into womanhood is accompanied by her belief that now, at last, she can leave behind a childhood made unhappy by a man she hates. But a secret remains stubbornly buried in her memory. Following the birth of her daughter she despairs of ever finding lasting love. But can she be happy with a man who drives her to exhaustion or with a sailor with a roving eye? Can she find love with Griff, her childhood friend? Battling with the tide of human emotion, she attempts to draw together the threads of her past. Can she discover the happiness she so desperately craves?