Violette Bushell is a young woman whose father is English people and mother is French people, living in London early in the Second World War. She meets French Army officer Etienne Szabo, stationed in the city, and they become engaged to be married. They have a daughter, Tania, but Etienne never sees the child as he is killed fighting in the North African Campaign; Violette Szabo and her daughter move into her parents' home.