A gritty and gripping saga set in London's East End in the aftermath of the First World War It's winter 1919, two months after the Armistice that ended the Great War, and life in London's East End is slowly returning to normal. But for 25-year-old Birdie Connor the battle is only just beginning. Frank, Birdie's older brother, has been sent to prison for deserting his army post while fighting in Belgium, and the shame heaped on the Connor family by their neighbors is unrelenting. Wilfred, Birdie's widowed father, has disowned Frank and vows that he will never set eyes on his son again, but Birdie cannot believe that her brother is guilty, and sets out to clear his name.