On a sultry afternoon, Laura Blundy exacts a terrible revenge on her wealthy husband and, scarcely able to believe her crime, flees to her lover. As they contemplate the future, Laura pieces together her troubled past. Destitute on the mean streets of Victorian London, she bore a child at 15, served time in jail and suffered a crippling accident, only to find herself imprisoned by her saviour, the cruel surgeon Lockhart. Billy, the young man who rescues her from the Thames, offers Laura what she yearns for--love, respect and respite from the grief racking her soul. But as Laura"s tale unfolds, the lovers discover it was not chance alone that brought them together.Myerson has crafted a haunting love story, rich in painstakingly gathered detail. Like Suskind"s Perfume, the text pulsates with the sights--and stinks--of the city. She also paints a vivid, almost visceral portrait of motherhood and loss. At times, however, the reader"s enjoyment of the story is clouded by the Dickensian detail. One can only read so much relentless suffering before longing for a little humour--something which Myerson, unlike Dickens, has not factored into her account. This is an intelligent and deeply moving book, but one needs nerves of steel to reach its deeply rewarding conclusion. --Matthew Baylis