This is the first in a biographical series, in 1950's Lancashire. Her parents killed in a freak accident, naive sixteen-year-old Alice falls to the custody of the austere Richard Barker, the girl's only relative. Tyrannical and scheming, the pious Barker ensures the innocent girl's stay is not a happy one. Kate Howell, precocious schoolmate and intimate, offers the exquisite Alice the means of escape. But life is never that simple. Embracing opposing ideals the pair begin the journey of life – a trek that takes the vulnerable Alice directly into the arms of an older man. The trials of Alice is a story of harsh discipline, lust and infatuation – of sexual confusion, carnal exploration, and the coming to terms with curious cravings.
