1947. One wet and chilly November afternoon a woman stands at the edge of a lake forced into a heartbreaking choice between her past and her future.2008. Police diver Martha makes an incredible discovery in a local lake of a package containing a ring, a lock of baby hair and a Croix de Guerre medal. The items are claimed by an elderly lady called Stella Leverton who seems strangely drawn to tell Martha the extraordinary story behind the medal. As the threads are drawn together Martha's world, and that of her family, is changed for ever.