Based on author Dame Catherine Cookson's best-selling thriller, this six-part drama takes place over 40 years of the later half of the 19th century. When Roddy Greenbank's father is unexpectedly killed, Kate Makerpeace, a friend of the deceased, agrees to take in several of the surviving children. Though the relationships between the children are strong, the bonds are put to the test as they become aware of several painful secrets from the past. Seemingly destined for tragedy, the fates of the artistic Roddy and his revenge-obsessed brother Hal converge in a consequence that could easily spill over into the next generation.