Two young boys living in an institution are caught in crossfire at the outset of the Irish troubles, setting their lives onto very different paths. Each will escape the institution, face the pain of emigration and become a fugitive from justice while trying to build a new life. As they cross the globe, will they find the courage to follow their dreams despite one setback after another? Eventually, both their lives entwine around a troubled English family - how does an ordinary working man raise six daughters while taking care of his increasingly crazy wife? They meet again in 1946 in the midst of crisis and tragedy. One of the daughters must now choose between her close-knit family and the man she truly loves.
