In 1940, a young woman makes a decision that will have repercussions for generations to follow... On the eve of VE Day 1945, six-year-old Alexandra Graham is torn from her comfortable wartime existence in Scotland, to begin an uneasy new life with her mother and a strange stepfather in Sheffield. As the years go by, she adapts to her new environment. But when she is fifteen Alexandra finds a lost family in the north-eastern ship-building town of Sunderland. This leads to a shocking discovery that casts a shadow over all her life to come. It threatens the love she finds, and makes her doubt her very identity. She must travel a long road paved with hope and despair, as she searches to uncover the truth and find the fulfilment she desires. Set in northern England, London and Scotland, Secrets and Shadows is the story of two women following their hearts, and learning that running away is not always the answer.