Alan Carter was only married to Dora for a week before being called up to serve in The Great War on HMS Viper. Eighteen months later, convalescing from a shoulder wound, he discovers his
wife has almost forgotten himand fallen in love with an American soldier. Devastated, he leaves East London for Cornwall. When his shoulder is better, even if his heart is still
broken, he goes back into service and puts everything into itgetting two medals for bravery in the process. After the war he decides he might as well live in Cornwallit is quiet
which would suit his hopefully successful new writing careerand he can try and start a new life. When he meets artist and suffragette Vicky, all looks much better.