The book follows the life of Clodagh Asshlin, an Irish girl brought up with her younger sister by her spendthrift father in the wilds of the Irish countryside. When her father dies, she marries the much older friend of her father who pays off all the family’s debts. They move to Italy, where Clodagh falls in with a fast crowd where she is easily led by her naivete and youth down the wrong paths. However, eventually she sees sense and her life takes a turn for the better.