For young Ethie Coulter the sudden death of her mother in strange circumstances is a shock almost too painful to bear. Her dad was already withdrawn; now he becomes silent, drinking too much and leaving Ethie and her brother Kipper to fend for themselves.Ethie was born after her father's return from the war in the Far East, so she never knew him as the open-hearted, loving husband he used to be. However, she senses that whatever happened to him back then had something to do with her mother's subsequent death.Inquisitive and fearless, Ethie is determined to work her way to the truth. As she digs deeper, a shocking secret emerges - one which challenges everything that Ethie thought she knew about her family