I read this book because Hugh Rae (for whatever reason) took the challenge to write a mutual friend into the story as a minor character. Puzzled by what role a Chinese girl from Singapore, in the 19th century known as the Straits Settlements, could play in Victorian-era Glasgow, I was delighted to find her a realistically drawn and feisty character. The main characters of the book are the McKennas, two sisters and a brother from Ireland who come to Glasgow in search of survival (to say "a better life" would be overstating the matter). Their first stop is a graveyard, where they glean the name of a recently-deceased Irishman in order to seek out his widow and pose as his nieces and nephew. Although she realizes the deception almost immediately, she quietly accepts them, pleased to have some "family" to care about - and says as much to the rent-collector who is concerned that she may be falling for a scam. He accepts her reference on their behalf, however, since she cannily is not giving money but her word, and from there we see all of these people interacting, changing, developing as the story continues. A joy to read. ( )