Summary

Milly Ash is born into terrible poverty in a huge family in which there is never enough food to go round, and where her terrifying father reigns with the lash of his belt, Milly has always dreamed of escape.

Milly Ash is born into terrible poverty in a huge family in which there is never enough food to go round, and where her terrifying father reigns with the lash of his belt, Milly has always dreamed of escape. Her chance comes when she lands a position as a lady's companion to Jane Green, the disabled daughter of a well-to-do family.