Ikey Solomon, - who some say was the inspiration for Dickens' character Fagin - is a counterfeiter and thief in the underbelly of early nineteenth century London.
When Ikey, his wife Hannah and mistress Mary Abacus, find themselves on the wrong side of the law for various reasons, they are all shipped out to the island  'Van Diemans Land', later renamed Tasmania.
Life in the penal colony is brutal and all three characters must find their own ways to survive.
This book, although uncomfortable to read at times, was interesting and compelling.