Lantier and Gervaise are fresh from the south, making a new life in Paris. But Lantier soon succumbs to urban degeneracy and abandons her. Gervaise, marries Coupeau the roofer and strives to realise her dream of running her own laundry. Hardship, however, is never far away. The text is here accompanied by an introduction, notes, selected criticism, text summary and a chronology of Zola's life and times.