On the night of the Luftwaffe"s devastating bombing of Coventry, two women traverse the city and transform their hearts. Helen Humphreys draws on history to delve into the lives torn asunder by the German attack of 14 November 1940. Harriet, a widow from World War I, is on the roof of Coventry Cathedral fire-watching when first the factories and then the church itself are set on fire. In the ensuing chaos she bonds with a young man, very much like the husband she lost, who relies on her to find the way back to his home where he left his mother. On their journey through a hell of burning shops and collapsed homes, Harriet awakens to emotions she had long put aside. At home, the youth"s mother awaits his arrival and rethinks the life that has brought her to this city and her life raising her son alone. Ultimately, together these two women must face a world as immeasurably changed as their own selves.