Twistleton is a village untouched by time. Daisy, Jean, Freddie, and their friends Aurelia and Laura are devoted to the place, so that when war breaks out, Twistleton becomes the embodiment of everything for which they are fighting.

For the previous generation, the new conflict causes private despair, increased when Twistleton is requisitioned by the Army. Turfed out of their houses, the villagers take refuge at the Hall. It is here that evacuees from the East End, butler and countryman, weld together to fight common enemies. With death haunting their every moment, love is their one all-too-fleeting consolation - and also their final triumph.