In The Orphan of Ironbridge, set in Shropshire in 1874, Hettie Jones grows up in Ironbridge with the Malone family, never having known her father and still mourning her mother’s death. She works in the local coal mines as a “pit girl” alongside her childhood friend Evan, their bond deepening amid hardship. But when the mysterious Queenie King from the grand estate takes an interest in Hettie, her life changes drastically: she transitions from miner to lady’s maid, thrust into a world of class, secrets, and ambition.