Set mostly in Edinburgh, the narrative has two time strands. 1950 strand opens with Maggie -- three months pregnant and having been thrown out of her family home in Edinburgh -- beginning her desperate struggle to survive. She works, suffers abuse and humiliation. The present-day strand tells of her son Tom's series of visits to her care home. He knows nothing of what really happened during those very early years. Maggie suffers from dementia and keeps reliving episodes in her tragic story, betraying what she had kept secret for so long. Tom is unable to cope. Despite its deep seriousness, the novel is narrated with an engaging wit and lightness of touch. The end is life-affirming.