As a Japanese prisoner of war, forced to work on the railway between Thailand and Burma, medical officer Dorrigo Evans is haunted by the memory of his affair with his uncle's wife, Amy. Thoughts of it fuel and torment him as he spends his days trying to maintain life in a world ravaged by death. Their love began by chance when they met in a bookshop. Since then, Dorrigo's mind has been constantly flooded with thoughts of Amy, despite his long-term marriage to another woman.