We witness the burgeoning love affair between Dorrigo and Amy in the 1940s, which is in stark contrast to his present day marriage to his wife, Ella. The banality of his current life in the 1980s leads Dorrigo to take a risk that puts his surgical career in jeopardy.

Dorrigo has come under investigation for a risky procedure he performed, placing a further strain on his marriage. A marriage that is already feeling the effects of Dorrigo's everlasting love for Amy, a love both cannot resist. We also witness Dorrigo's deep love and care towards the soldiers when a cholera outbreak spreads through the POW camp, and his friend Rabbit becomes increasingly unwell.

Dorrigo and Amy's affair must end when Dorrigo is shipped off to war, where as a prisoner he bares witness to the most horrific of crimes.

Dorrigo returns from war and tries to get on with his life without Amy and many of his friends he lost to the POW camp. While in the present, the day of the book launch arrives and Dorrigo's reflections on his life come to a head.