It's 1914 and Molly Dunnage wants to see change: at home, at work and in underwear. Her burgeoning corsetry business is starting to take off, thanks to some high-profile supporters. She's marching with Melbourne's suffragists for better conditions for women everywhere.

And her family - her eccentric, confounding, adored father and aunt - are turning their minds to country retirement. But as the clouds of war gather and an ominous figure starts skulking in the shadows of her life, Molly's dreams begin to falter.

Then, when true love drops out of the sky and into her arms, her hopes for her life and the world are entirely upended. With the dark humour, richly detailed settings and vividly drawn characters we've come to expect from Rosalie Ham, this prequel to the international bestseller The Dressmaker is an unforgettable story of hopes lost, love found - and corsets loosened.