Based on the novel by george moore, esther waters is the story of a mothers fight for the life of her illegitimate son. Depicting the life of a fallen woman and filmed with incredible accuracy and authenticity of victorian culture this is a sad, moving touching and tremendously real story. Esther waters kathleen ryan is a young woman living in 1880's london. Forced by her abusive stepfather to start work, she leaves school to become a servant in an aristocratic country household. There she falls in love with the handsome footman, william latch dirk bogarde, who seduces and then abandons her. Pregnant and alone, she s forced to return to london. With nothing but her meagre savings and no prospects of employment she struggles to survive and keep her baby alive. This is a tale of the strength of the human spirit in the face of great adversity.