During 1943, a young British woman’s life and trust are forever shattered by a brutal act of violence. Sexually assaulted by Jock, her parents’ lodger and the respected manager at the nearby bomber airfield, twenty-year-old Mary Louise struggles for self-respect and safety in the aftermath of the attack. When she learns she is pregnant, she must find the courage for another battle. She fights to keep the child and raise him alone, as the father refuses to acknowledge, support, or participate in his son’s life in any way.

For thirty years, the aftershock of that terrifying night continues to shake her world and those of her family, friends, and son. With ordinary lives thrown into chaos, complex human emotions run rampant. In her fierce determination to survive and thrive, Mary Louise will discover just how strong she really is.