On Saturday nights, the Pier Ballroom in Swansea is the place to be. As the girls and boys gather, we are introduced to Helen in her expensive dress 'borrowed' from her father's warehouse; to Jack Clay who is over-enthusiastic and tears the dress; to Brian who breaks up a fight between Jack, Joe and Judy; and to Lily and Katie who help Helen's brother Joe take Helen home. It is an evening that fuels jealousies and sows the seeds for friendships, confidences and love. These are the characters whose lives become the core of this enchanting novel about the growing up of working girls in Swansea in the fifties and sixties.