Once a grand country house, Hope Hall is now beautiful luxury apartments, and when Cassie and Nina become new neighbours, they soon become firm friends. But as perfect as life in the Cambridgeshire countryside seems, both have heartaches of their own. Cassie is blissfully in love with Ben, but shadows from her first marriage loom large, threatening her happiness. Nina, a widow, must confront a painful decision that will shatter her mother-in-law's dreams. Into their lives comes Venetia, a lively seventy-nine-year-old with a penchant for secrets - one of which is close to her heart, concealed in her handbag... As Venetia recalls her own bittersweet history with Hope Hall, bonds between the three women are forged, revealing the strength found in friendship and the courage to confront the past.