Amy Logan's family is poor but proud. They scrape a living by shrimping for the big Liverpool fish market, which Amy hates. It's only because her beloved, and strict, mother rules her with a rod of iron that she mucks in. But Isobel Logan dies in childbirth, and Amy and her brothers start to run wild. Matters aren't helped when her father marries Suzie Keagan from down the street: Until now, Suzie has managed to conceal a dislike for housekeeping and she forces Amy to slave at chores. Desperate to escape, Amy leaves home to take her first job. But her happiness is short-lived for her father becomes gravely ill. She must return home and take her place within the family once again...