A gritty and page-turning historical saga from the bestselling author of A Shilling for a Wife, perfect for fans of Dilly Court and Rosie Goodwin. Manchester, 1842 Phoebe Parsons is a liar...a shameless harlot with unscrupulous morals... Phoebe Parsons is destitute, disgraced, and alone. After her mistress tragically dies, Phoebe is forced back onto the poverty-ridden streets of Manchester by her unforgiving new master. Desperately searching for work as a domestic maid, Phoebe soon discovers her reputation is in ruins. Fearing for her future and haunted by the harshness of her abandonment, Phoebe finds herself living with thieves and drunks in the smog and squalor - until she meets Victor Hayes. An officer removed from his duty and shamed by a cruel lie, Mr Hayes is a kind face among the uncertain threats of living in the alleyways. But Phoebe soon realises the sacrifices she must make to rebuild from the ground up... As their two worlds collide, can they make a new life from the wreckage? Or will the judgement of their peers make a pauper of Phoebe?