The loneliest thing in the world is to be with someone who's not talking to you…….
Although Ella Collingwood knows this well, she's hoping her new life in Balvaig, a tranquil village on the Hebridean Isle of Soma, will be a fresh start. But within weeks her husband, Rolf, is disillusioned with his new job, and it's clear he means to distract himself in the way that's almost caused their relationship to break down already; he still has a roving eye.
A new relationship seems to offer Ella a way out – is it a haven or a trap?
Recently-widowed artist Lenka Majewska, another recent arrival in Balvaig, is also feeling trapped; she's being pressured into making a commitment she's not yet ready to make.
The two women soon become friends. Both have found to their cost that love is a risky business. Can they help each other weather the storm?