Martha Owen has not had an easy start in life. Her abusive father dominates the family and she has lost her only friend after a painful falling-out.

Her father's reliance on the bottle, and his increasingly violent temper, brings turmoil for Martha, her mother and her three siblings and with World War One causing more strain on the home front, her prospects look bleak.

With no money or qualifications to speak of, starting a job at the Potteries feels like a lifeline, but Martha finds herself wanting more than the production line job she works on.