The exciting 1920s are drawing to a close - it's a wonderful time to be sixteen and in love. Henzey Kite thinks she's found the perfect man when she meets Billy Witts. Handsome, ambitious and successful, Billy seems to have everything that the local boys from Dudley can't give her.

But while Henzey dreams of babies and a home of her own, Billy has other ideas. In time, she finds out that his easy ways with the toffs go farther than mere business; and when the Great Depression falls on the Black Country's factories, he shows the darker side of his obsession with wealth and luxury. For Henzey, a time of heartache is coming. Only time will heal the wound Billy leaves - and show her that there are better men to love . . .