First published 1992
Liza Kemp lives and works in the crowded Lambeth slums of Victorian London. At twenty-two, she's a vibrant factory worker trapped in a world of limited opportunities. When she begins a dangerous affair with a married man named Tom, she defies the suffocating social conventions of her working-class neighborhood. Their passionate relationship promises excitement but threatens to destroy everything she knows. As gossip and judgment close in around her, Liza must confront the brutal consequences of desire in a society that offers women few choices. Her story becomes a raw, unflinching portrait of love, survival, and social constraint.
Genres: fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century, adult-fiction, british-literature, 19th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: forbidden-love, social-outcasts
Setting: China, British Raj
Period: Twilight of the British Raj
128 pages · Paperback · Penguin Publishing Group