Lancashire, 1930s. When her mother dies, leaving her an old sewing box and a clue to her father's identity, 22-year-old Maisie Bassett is determined to make a fresh start. Changing her name and moving to the small town of Rivenshaw, she finds a respectable job in a grocery store. But unwanted attentions from a man at her new church make life increasingly difficult - until the shy, handsome Gabriel Harte comes to her rescue. Then she receives an inheritance...

1875: Rose and her little sister, Cora, are known in London's East End as The Sunshine Sisters. But they're hiding a secret - one that could see them turned out on the streets without a penny to their name. When their brother is sent to prison for a crime that he didn't commit, it signals the start of the family's woes. Cora finds herself caught up in an illicit relationship with a cad and is thrown out by their strict father. As the family is hit...