When fourteen-year-old Biddy O'Shaughnessy is left destitute following her mother's death, she is forced to work all hours for Ma Kettle at the local sweet shop. But she can't take it anymore and decides to run away. When she begins to share a flat with Ellen, an old school friend, fate is against them and Biddy finds herself homeless once more, living on the streets of Liverpool. After applying for the post of maid with the Gallagher family, Biddy feels that she might be able to lead a normal life.Until she meets Dai, a young Welshman working on the trawlers, Nellie Gallagher is keeping a secret, one that will change their lives..