Two women, two lives, two very different fates.

Josephine is one of the very few female journalists in Victorian England - not a job for a respectable young woman. Her chosen path is far from easy but she's determined and courageous.

Harriet is content to drift from one opportunity to another, from man to man, living by her singing, resorting to prostitution when times get tough. It's a turbulent, unpredictable life - a way of life which ultimately leads to her untimely end.

Josephine is horrified and yet fascinated by the case. If circumstances had been different, Harriet's fate could have been her own. The two women are close in age, their families not so very different. What made one life turn out this way?

Betty Burton has based this novel on a real-life tragedy and turns her storytelling talents to exploring the background. She writes of what it means to be a woman in a man's world - be it the ultimate victim with no control or the one who dares to try to break the mould.

About the Author

Betty Burton is the author of 'Jude', 'Jaen', 'Hard Loves, Easy Riches', 'The Consequences of War', 'Goodbye Piccadilly', 'Long, Hot Summer', 'Falling in Love' and ''The Girl Now Leaving', as well as a collection of short stories, 'Women Are Bloody Marvellous!'. She has written for both television and radio, and won the Chichester Festival Theatre Award. Born in Romsey, Hampshire, she now lives in Southsea with her husband, Russ.

Reviews

'Betty Burton constructs the world from the female point of view - carefully considered, subtle and observant'. Elizabeth Buchan, Sunday Times

Book Information
ISBN 9780007192632
Author Betty Burton
Format Paperback
Page Count 384
Imprint HarperCollins
Publisher HarperCollins Publishers
Weight(grams) 200g
Dimensions(mm) 178mm * 111mm * 23mm