Can a family learn to put the past behind them? It's October 1954 and life in post-war Britain is slowly starting to return to normal. For Rachel Campbell, however, her family is proving to be a constant challenge. As her children grow older and start families of their own, Rachel must help them learn the often difficult lessons of life. Back from National Service, Sam quickly rises through the police force, but finds himself in competition with his younger brother Paul, Carrie realises that marriage may not create the easy life she had hoped for, and Rachel's eldest daughter Hannah faces the harsh realities of life on a Hebridean island...