Abandoned by her father and sold into servitude by her mother, Moth, a 12-year-old girl, struggles to stay alive in 1871 Manhattan. Her only chance at survival is working at an “Infant School,” a brothel catering to men who pay dearly for virgin girls.

But when Moth meets the brothel’s female physician, Dr. Sadie, she begins to question the sordid world around her. With Dr. Sadie's guidance, Moth discovers there's hope for a life outside of the brothel and the very real possibility of finding the kind of world she's always longed for.

Ignored by society, unprotected by the law, Moth dreams of a better future. But there’s a high price to pay for freedom, and no one knows that better than a girl from Gotham’s gritty streets.