When her mother leaves the family home in Belfast for her lover, Louise McGuigan is left feeling betrayed. It is up to Louise to look after her brother and sister while her father loses himself to alcohol. Returning to work at the local linen factory, she has to endure the cruel gossip about her so-called righteous mother and when Conor O'Rourke, the man of her dreams, continues to drag his heels about their future together, Louise doesn't know how much more she can take. Louise's luck appears to change when she finds alternative employment in a local bookshop, but her family troubles still weigh heavy on her mind. And when she seeks solace in the arms of a man who isn't Conor, things become even more complicated. Can Louise find happiness with the right man or will she be tied to her troubled family for ever?