Everyone knows something of the dreadful incident that became known as the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester in 1819, when the Yeomanry launched a murderous attack on protesters.
In his novel Jeff Kaye examines what happened afterwards.
It's set 13 years after Peterloo, and Hugh Hornby Birley, the mill owner who led the Yeomanry on that dreadful day, still casts a malign shadow over Manchester.
Mary Burns, a nine-year-old girl is one of the workers in his factory. Her family relies on Mary's wages to survive.
The novel shows how she grew into an ardent Chartist, working hard to better the conditions of the herself, her family and the people of her town.
The novel also introduces James Hull. James has been sent to Manchester as a religious missionary, but when he sees at first hand the desperate and miserable conditions of the inhabitants he decides to work to save their physical lives, leaving their spiritual salvation to others.
He has problems of his own as Elizabeth, his wife, is distraught over the death of their daughter.
Together James and Mary face down Birley, during the Chartist strikes in the year of 1842, which reactivate the memories of the dreadful event of Peterloo.
But was Birley really such a monster? Kaye takes a look at Birley that is quite nuanced and well realised.
It's an important novel that reflects upon a very unfortunate piece of the history of Britain during the 19th century.
It is published by Matador at £8.99 in paperback and £16.99 in hardback.
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