Thirteen year old Mimi Quinn is on her way to London to fullfill her mother's ambition for her to become a domestic servant when she meets up with a group of music hall players and her life takes a different course.
As one of Jolly Joe's troupe, Mimi's dark treacle voice soon wins acclaim, just as Betsy Bridges' extraordinary beauty marks her out as a star-to-be. The two girls become firm friends, despite the ever-watchful eye of Betsy's ambitious mother.
Then one night a terrible accident wrecks their ambitions and starts a grim feud between two of the most famous acting families on both sides of the Atlantic. On screen, on stage and back stage, the subsequent battles threaten to ruin not only the lives of Mimi and Betsy but also of their families in this gripping story, which explores the difficulties of forgiveness . . . and the dangers of revenge.
