On Easter day in 1918, Frances Kemp looked out at the little thatched village and promised that, one day, she'd come back... Long before Miss Kemp became headmistress of the village school, she had reason to know and love Burracombe. Sent to stay with family, young Frances treasured her summers there and the friends she made. But as she grows up, she admits that there is someone there who is more than just a friend. As Frances watches so many get called away to war, she must struggle to find a way to get by while her sweetheart is away and a way to think about what lies ahead in a world where every day brings ever more uncertainty.