Young Joan Wright knows exactly what she wants: to escape with her friend Marcie from domestic drudgery in her poor village of Lancashire cotton workers, and to make a living using their healing skills. They have sworn to have nothing to do with men. But when roving, rascally, magnetic Sean McGilroy comes on a visit to his relatives, Joan finds herself attracted to him despite her plans and his bad reputation as a 'light o' love'. Appalled by the poverty all about, McGilroy joins Joan's father and the local Radicals in organising a protest march to St. Peter's Field in Manchester to hear the famous Radical orator Henry Hunt. Joan and Marcie organise a group of women to march with the men. Irresistibly drawn to McGilroy, Joan finds that she must choose between the dreams she has shared with Marcie of independence, or in taking the risk of trusting the beguiling but notoriously fickle McGilroy. But meanwhile, McGilroy has made powerful enemies among those who have the support of the goverment to suppress the Radicals...