Liverpool, 1955. With her abusive husband drinking all her wages, Alice faces a daily struggle to provide for her family. Her eldest daughter Cathy has always longed to be a nurse, but when poverty means she's forced to leave school and get a job it looks like her dreams are over. But Cathy isn't willing to give up, and with the support of old friend – and new love – Gianni, she manages to secure a place as a cadet nurse. Now, though, her mam must stand up to her violent husband alone – and with less money coming in, Alice will be in danger of losing everything. What's more, since nursing students must be unmarried, and Gianni is desperate to settle down, it's not just her mam who hopes that Cathy will come home…Can Cathy find a way to have it all, or will becoming a nurse mean leaving her family – and love – behind?
The Nurses of Lark Lane is a heart-breaking saga about a family's battle to survive.