 Paulina Palmer sees the reading material available in the various locations of Nan 's settings as symbols of the vast class differences in Victorian London . Specifically , Diana keeps a trunk full of pornographic literature which she and Nan read to each other in between sexual encounters . She is an extremely wealthy resident of the London neighbourhood St John 's Wood , and identifies as a Sapphist — a contemporary term for a lesbian . Nan uses the euphemism " tom " throughout the novel , particularly to refer to herself and other working class lesbians . Although " tom " was used as a Victorian reference to lesbianism , Waters admits it was probably not as prevalent as her characters suggest it was . 
