Growing up in Bethnal Green, Charlotte longs for the day she's old enough to put on her gladrags and be part of the swinging sixties. But her parents have other plans and move out to the quiet of the countryside, leaving Charlie homesick as she grows into a beautiful young woman.

So when a childhood friend walks back into her life just as Charlie turns eighteen, it seems like the chance she's been waiting for to return to the bright lights. Back in the old streets and alleyways of her childhood, there are plenty of people who have never forgotten the girl with the white-blonde hair and quick wit. Surrounded by friends and family, it's everything she's ever dreamed of.

But Charlie's dreams are shattered when brutal violence strikes close to home. For it turns out that London has a dark side too, and the East End hides as many sinners as saints...

Sally Worboyes' spirited and passionate writing brings London to life in this wonderfully atmospheric novel of love and life in the 1960s. With the kind of authenticity and charm that comes from a lifelong love affair with the area , HANDBAGS and GLADRAGS confirms Sally Worboyes as queen of the East End saga.