1916, Scotland. Five years after leading a strike at the sewing factory, newly pregnant Ellen is rushed off her feet at the Clydebank Clothing Exchange, the heart of the community. Ellen is missing her husband James who is away with the Royal Navy, and worried about how to make ends meet. She desperately wants to confide in her best friend Sadie. However, Sadie is hiding a heart-breaking secret of her own which places strain on their friendship. Ignoring concerns from her sister Sadie, seventeen-year-old Rachel has signed up as a munitions worker at the former sewing factory in Clydebank. Together with the other women nicknamed ‘the munitionettes’ she finds fun and friendship as they start a local football team. When Ellen is forced to return to the factory to earn money for her growing family, she clashes with Sadie, who is angry about the working conditions. Several of the women and their babies are falling ill, despite assurances from management that the factory is safe.
