After the horrors of the Belfast Blitz in 1941, Lucy Caldwell creates a WW2 piece of vivid historical fiction that records the devastation of Belfast, culminating in its citizens openly talking about the city being finished. The book is organized around the Dockside Raid, the Easter Raid, and the Fire Raids, concentrating on the Bell family: Philip, a doctor, Florence, his wife, and their three children, Audrey, 21, impulsive and impetuous, Emma, 18, serious and uncomfortable, and young, exuberant Paul, as the central characters. Audrey works at a tax office and has a strong friendship with Doreen Bates, a coworker. She is also about to marry Richard, a doctor. Despite her family's concerns, Emma volunteers at the First Aid Post, tending to the wounded, under the impression that she is doing the most she can to contribute to helping her city during the war.