Celia Frost has always thought herself a cut above the other residents of Lark Rise in Battersea. When her beloved son, Thomas, starts seeing Amy Miller, a girl from the bottom of the Rise, Celia disapproves, thinking her common. When Celia's husband leaves her and Thomas announces he is to marry Amy, she is more determined than ever to split them up.
Celia needs an ally, so she writes to her elder son, Jeremy, asking him to come home. Jeremy's arrival unleashes a tide of jealously and hate. He wants everything that belongs to Thomas - especially Amy. As Jeremy's dangerous obsession for his brother's wife grows, Amy must fight for her marriage, and her baby.
