Missing home Rachel seizes the opportunity to train as a district nurse in a village near Rochdale even though it will take her closer to the trouble she left behind. She is shocked to find Eastby End little more than a slum. It's clear she will need to work hard to win the trust of the villagers. Joss Townley has been reluctantly working in his father's factory but is dismayed at the conditions the workers endure. When his father dies in order to save the family's fortune he must take on a house in a place called Eastby End. He is appalled to see his new neighbours' misery and anger. A meeting with the mayor brings him into contact with Rachel. Can they both survive life in Eastby End?

Part of the Eastby End series.