The casual society and relationships of 1940s Britain suit the wilful Juniper. Spoilt as a child in New England, emotionally crippled by marriage and motherhood, Juniper continues her frenetic search for distraction and love. Once again, she betrays her friendship with Polly Frobisher, and threatens the fragile contentment of her remarkable grandmother Alice Tregowan. Through it all, Gwenfer, the magnificent granite house at the end of the Atlantic, endures, exerting its implacable hold on those who love and covet it, as Juniper is launched into a helter-skelter of passion and betrayal which is dangerous not only to lovers and family, but to herself.