Born into direst poverty in 1820s Liverpool, Linny Gow escapes the life of prostitution her stepfather has forced her into, learns how to be a young lady, and flees to India, where the British Raj is in its infancy. There she finds heartache and suffering, but also true love and -perhaps most important of all - freedom. A hugely compelling novel which heralds an exciting new talent in women's fiction, The Linnet Bird is a once-in-a-lifetime read.