Born in the Jewish enclave of Stepney shortly after his father was executed, Jacob Fagin's whole world is his mother, Leah. But Jacob's prospects are forever altered when a pickpocket takes Jacob under his wing and teaches him a trade that pays far better than the neighborhood boys could possibly dream. Striking out on his own, Jacob familiarizes himself with London's highest value neighborhoods. Everything changes when he adopts an aspiring teenage thief named Bill Sikes, whose mercurial temper poses a danger to himself and anyone foolish enough to cross him. As Bill's ambition soars and a major robbery goes awry, Jacob is forced to decide what a life is worth.