The youngest of five siblings, Lottie Mortimer has never felt like she belonged. Her mother died shortly after she was born, leaving her father and grandmother to raise the family and, despite their love and support, Lottie can't help wondering if there is something they are not telling her... With the First World War over, the Mortimers' ship-owning business is struggling to survive and Lottie, who works with her father, worries what the future will hold. Meanwhile, her elder sister Eunice is trapped in an unhappy marriage that causes concern for them all. Then Lottie discovers the shocking truth about her birth that turns her world upside down and the dramatic events that unfold affect them all... “Truly compelling...rich in language and descriptive prose” - Newcastle Upon Tyne Evening Chronicle