Nicky and his friends find that their youth club is in danger of being flattened to make way for a new office block unless they can come up with £1500 to pay the new owner, the ruthless property tycoon Hamilton Black. To help raise the cash, Nicky records a song and his friends broadcast it via a pirate radio station, touting him as "The Mystery Singer" - the plan works and interest in their up and coming show is heightened by this new but unknown heart-throb. But Nicky has an even bigger secret and one that he cannot share, even with his girlfriend Toni.

In 1935, nineteen year old Gwen Harold of Johnson City, Tennessee, is visiting her Aunt Peg and her casual beau Fred Tyson, a low level bureaucrat, in Washington DC. Fred is able to get them an invitation to the Japanese Embassy's annual reception. At that gathering, they meet among others Hidenari Terasaki - called Terry for ease by Americans - the Under Secretary to the Japanese Ambassador. Terry and Gwen start to date, fall in love and decide that they want to get married. The entire process leading to this point has not been easy for either as she has largely hidden their relationship from her family due to the racial divide, and as his diplomatic post makes marrying anyone not Japanese difficult in what are increasingly tense geopolitical times globally. They are able to get married, which only increases the difficulties in their life, especially as Gwen is ill-prepared to accept the patriarchal customs of Japanese society, Terry who is expecting her to be a typical Japanese wife, most specifically while they are in Japan. Their problems are increased exponentially with the events of December 7, 1941. Terry, a Japanese national, is not allowed to stay in the US under the circumstances. Gwen has to decide to follow Terry back to Tokyo, he who she still loves despite their problems, or stay in the relative safety of the US. They now have a young daughter Mako Terasaki to consider, Mako who will face prejudices on both sides. Beyond Terry being sent back to Japan, he has to decide to stay true to his professional obligations and work for the Japanese war effort or stay true to his love for Gwen in not only protecting her and Mako but not work toward killing Americans.

A Psychiatrist and his life with a patient he helped to recover.

Upper class Americans Noel and Meg Johnson have a twenty-six year old daughter named Clara Johnson. Clara suffered a head injury as a child which resulted in her being mentally disabled. Clara's mental capacity is equivalent to that of a ten year old. In many social situations, Clara's disability can be passed off as a simple joy of life. The issue of Clara's care has placed a strain between Noel and Meg, the latter who clings to the hope that one day Clara can lead a "normal" life. While on an extended vacation through Italy, Meg and Clara meet a twenty-three year old Italian named Fabrizio Naccarelli in Florence. Fabrizio is instantly smitten with Clara, who returns the affection. Always protecting Clara, Meg initially resists Fabrizio's constant measures to insinuate himself into their lives. But as Meg learns more about Fabrizio and meets his family, Meg begins to believe a marriage between Fabrizio and Clara is Clara's chance for that normal life, all the while not telling the Naccarellis of Clara's issue. This belief places a further strain between Meg and Noel, who still wants Clara placed in some sort of institution. Not having met the Naccarellis, Noel also believes they have ulterior motives in their actions. But what happens if the Nacarellis find out about Clara's disability?

John Lewis is bored by his librarian's job and henpecked at home. Then Liz, wife of a local counciller, sets her sights on him. But this is risky stuff in a Welsh valleys town - if he and Liz ever manage to consummate their affair, that is.

In 1980, a giant planetoid named Gorath is discovered to be on a collision course with Earth. Even though it is smaller than Earth, its mass is huge enough to crush the Earth and destroy it. A mission sent to observe Gorath is destroyed after all the orbiting ships are drawn into the planetoid. A later mission is sent to observe and the crew barely leaves before suffering the same fate. However Astronaut Tatsuo Kanai is left in a catatonic state due to his near death experience. The Earth's scientists then come up with a desperate plan to build giant rockets at the South Pole to move Earth out of Gorath's path before it is too late.

A young rape victim tries desperately to pick up the pieces of her life, only to find herself at the mercy of a would-be rescuer.

Forsdyke, a pathological petty thief subjects himself to a strict correction course run by a wealthy ex-con Widdowes and his Crooks Anonymous organization. Forsdyke's young and innocent girlfriend Babette, holds the hopes for his recovery and promises that she'll marry him if he'll reform. However, Forsdyke loses control when he's locked in a department store over Christmas.

A group of male patients are in a Tuberculosis sanatorium. They have to remain there for a considerable time, as there was no direct cure at the time other than fresh air. Antagonisms, in some cases quite extreme, develop between the patients, and romantic complications arise with the nurses, and with the patients' wives. At the end of a calendar year, they are all fit to be sent home at the same time, and the tensions have mostly subsided. Moreover romance with nurses has developed into a firm relationship in one case.

A woman who may be a witch defends her husband from forces attempting to harm him.

In 1718 a recently freed family of indentured workers inherits the small uninhabited Bull Island off the Carolina coast. The family consist of husband and wife, one son, and a second son who they bought as a baby. The local fishermen who were already using the island think they own the island and attempt to force the family to leave, during which the husband is killed. The conflict over the island escalates as more people including a castaway, a fugitive from justice, and hired heavies join each side. Not everyone is who they seem to be or claim to be.

Two strippers are released from prison to work undercover for the U.S. government.