Jamie Graham, a privileged English boy, is living in Shanghai when the Japanese invade and force all foreigners into prison camps. Jamie is captured with an American sailor, who looks out for him while they are in the camp together. Even though he is separated from his parents and in a hostile environment, Jamie maintains his dignity and youthful spirit, providing a beacon of hope for the others held captive with him.

Professor Broderick, a famous professor of Psychology, returns to his house by Belfast Lough to discover a woman waiting for him.

Frank is a restless young man in his late twenties whose life revolves around his friends and his work. When he becomes involved with Ruby, her optimistic and fresh approach to life and its problems begins to have a dramatic effect on him.

Set in 2016 prior to the centennial of the Easter Rising at Northern Ireland's only integrated teacher training college. A struggle develops between the principal and the security director who values security more than education.

Two couples, one Catholic, one Protestant, exist on two sides of the chasm that is everyday life in Northern Ireland.

Belfast 1972: The politically naive Bernie is trying to bring up a normal family in less than normal surroundings. Her best friend is accidentally shot dead by the IRA, and her neighbours are constantly raided by the army. In this climate of fear she stands up and condemns the murders. Criticising both factions, her call for a ceasefire is interpreted as an attack against the IRA, and as her peace movement takes momentum, she and her family are placed in the frontline.

Conn, a member of the IRA and a former hunger striker, is serving a life sentence for murder. During peace talks, he is released on a 24-hour parole and uses the time to search for his girlfriend Leyla’s killer. He finds only lies and intrigue surrounding her death, and he begins to realize that his lover was not what she seemed.