Defoe's eighteenth-century picaresque novel of a woman's eventual escape from the life of immorality and wickedness imposed on her by society since her birth.

Moll is a headstrong woman whose lowly station in 18th century London leaves her in the most dire of circumstances forcing her into a lifestyle that could easily break her spirit. Her story involves husbands and numerous lovers, shocking family secrets, and travels to bustling London and the New World's Virginia. Moll's dangerous misdeeds stretch from sexual adventures to criminal acts, leaving her with a price on her head as she strives to triumph against overwhelming odds.