Les Miserables. Victor Hugo

He was no longer Jean Valjean, but No. 24601 Jean Valjean, an escaped convict, is determined to put his criminal past behind him. But his attempt to become a respected member of the community are threatened by the relentless investigations of the dogged policeman Javert when, owing to a case of mistaken identity, another man is arrested in his place. It is not simply for himself that Valjean must stay free, however, for he has sworn to protect the baby daughter of Fantine, driven to prostitution by poverty. Victor Hugo's epic take of injustice, heroism and love is a timeless classic, not to be missed. 'A great writer - inventive, sly, innovatory.' A.S. Byatt