Set in working‑class London between the 1920s and 1930s, this compassionate narrative follows Annie, the eldest daughter of a laundress. Raised in poverty and bound to long hours of physical labour, she becomes consumed by questions about her father’s fate after the Great War and the silence that surrounds him.
When Annie’s search for the truth strains the household, she must confront family loyalty, social expectations and her own distrust of intimacy. The book traces her efforts to break free from the drudgery of the laundry, claim a future of her own choosing, and reconcile the past that shaped her family.
Readers interested in interwar social history, women's lives, and stories of family secrets will find a richly observed portrait of resilience and class in early 20th‑century London.
- Setting: Acton and Kensington, London
- Themes: family secrets, work, grief, independence
- Appeals to readers of historical biography and women’s history