May 1914, and as the First World War approaches, three women are living, trapped between marsh, river, and fen. Their lives held fast by grief, the past, and the looming presence of a hospital. A hospital which has never admitted a single patient.

Eleanor longs to escape. To make a life with the man she loves, leaving her sister and all her ghosts behind.

Clara’s marriage is crumbling and violent, although she yearns for peace and security for both herself and her children.

Meanwhile, Lily, determined that nothing should change, will do anything to prevent life and her family from moving on. No matter the cost