Tipping the Velvet

Nan Astley embarks on a voyage of emotional and sexual discovery with Kitty Butler, a music hall male impersonator. When Kitty moves to London, Nan accompanies her.

After her betrayal by Kitty, Nan is distraught and abandoned. Forced to leave the theatre, she cannot return to her family in Whitstable. Instead she discovers a new way to earn a living - one that takes her into the world of London's dark underbelly.

Nan and Blake are thrown out by Diana and when Blake disappears with the little money they have, Nan is totally destitute. The only person she can think of who might help her is the idealistic young charity worker Florence, who she met briefly before Diana.