A London woman's love life and career both hinge, unknown to her, on whether or not she catches a train.

A dry-witted, sexual, angry, grief-riddled woman hurls herself at modern living in London. She often escapes into momentary fantasy asides -- letting an imaginary audience hear her unspoken gibes -- as she navigates her father's emotional distance, her godmother-turned-stepmother, her perfect sister and horrible brother-in-law as well as her seemingly-doomed love life.

"Love blooms in the darkest days . . . It's 1942, and London remains under constant threat of enemy attack as the second world war rages on. In the Bethnal Green neighborhood, Nellie Morris counts every day lucky that she emerges from the underground shelters unharmed, her loving family still surrounding her. Three years into the war, she's grateful to hold onto remnants of normalcy - her job assisting the mayor and nights spent at the local pub with...