Beginning in 1910, this story follows two brothers, Michael, a baby, and Ronald, a seven-year-old, who suddenly lose both parents. Their mother dies in childbirth, and their father perishes in the worst coal mining disaster in Lancashire's history: the Pretoria Pit explosion at Hulton Colliery near Westhoughton, Bolton, which claimed 344 lives. Taken to a local orphanage, the baby is fostered by a local mill owner and his wife. Unbeknownst to anyone at the time, the mill owner's intentions are far from benevolent; he wants a compliant son to fulfill his wishes. Meanwhile, the traumatized and unruly Ronald is deemed too difficult to adopt and is sent to Australia under Britain's Child Migrant Program, where he initially suffers much abuse. Despite their harsh beginnings, both brothers eventually join the medical profession. During World War II, they encounter each other several times while working in field hospitals, completely unaware of their true relationship. Is it possible that they will one day discover the bonds of brotherhood and reunite?