Howard Coulter was one of hundreds of Canadian soldiers sent to the Far East following the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbour. Surviving the fierce battle for Hong Kong, he became a POW, and is haunted by the memories that he carries with him. His daughter Ethie was born after he returned from the war. She never knew him as he was before, an open, loving man and a devoted husband. Why, Ethie wonders, is he so silent and withdrawn? Howard carries more than the physical and mental scars inflicted by his captors. Something happened in Hong Kong, a secret that he has carried for two decades and one which threatens to destroy his family should it ever come to light.