A hunchbacked shoemaker rises from the poverty of the Sydney slums to become a powerful gang leader, only to find his newfound status threatened by his own past and the shifting loyalties of his community. Jonah, the protagonist, navigates the harsh social hierarchies of early 20th-century Sydney, driven by a desire for respect and autonomy. He faces opposition from rival gang members, the constraints of his physical deformity, and the complex expectations of the woman he loves. The narrative employs a gritty, observational style that captures the vernacular and social tensions of the era, unfolding through a third-person perspective that maintains a clinical distance from its characters.

This work is frequently cited as a significant contribution to early Australian urban realism, noted for its unsentimental portrayal of life in the slums. Critics often highlight the author's ability to render the specific atmosphere of Sydney with precision and lack of artifice. The narrative is recognized for its departure from the bush-focused literature that dominated the period, offering instead a stark look at city dynamics. Readers generally engage with the text as a historical document that provides insight into the social structures and linguistic patterns of the time.