Pontypridd 1930. At eighteen Edyth is the 'plain, intelligent' one of Harry and Sali Evans's five daughters, until a chance meeting with handsome curate Peter Slater throws her life into turmoil. Head over heels in love, she sacrifices her own ambitions of a college education and career, and defies her parents' opposition so she can help Peter realise his dream of running his own parish. The church sends Peter to Butetown, a dockland area of Cardiff, commonly known as Tiger Bay. There Edyth and Peter encounter rich cultures from all corners of the world, cultures that flourish despite desperate poverty and the Depression. It is a society where creed, language and the colour of a family's skin doesn't matter - as long as the borders that separate Tiger Bay from the city aren't crossed. Then Edyth discovers exactly why her parents were so opposed to her marriage. Peter has a dark secret that has not only blighted his life but also hers. A secret that threatens to destroy her love and, ultimately their marriage.