Joan Jonker introduces Nellie McDonough and Molly Bennett, two of her most popular characters, in this hearwarming Liverpool saga

In her terraced house in Liverpool, Molly Bennett struggles to bring up four children on her husband's meagre wage. But Molly doesn't complain; she has an abundance of things money can't buy - and a home filled with love and laughter. When her eldest daughter, Jill, is offered a place at high school, Molly is racked with guilt. She needs Jill working to relieve their poverty. But Jill eases Molly's conscience by getting herself a job in a baker's shop while signing up for night school. Molly's best mate is Nellie McDonough; they spend hours laughing, gossiping and lending a helping hand to others. And when they discover one of their neighbours is being beaten by her violent husband, the friends roll up their sleeves and take action. Meanwhile, Jill starts dating Nellie's son, Steve, and both families are delighted. But Jill lands herself an office job that takes her into a world beyond the confines of their close-knit community and she and Steve seem to be drifting apart...