Soon after a wild night at the pub, twenty-year-old Sharon Rabbitte of north Dublin finds herself expecting a little "snapper" by an older man she loathes. Her refusal to name the father sets in motion a family drama involving her three brothers, two sisters, and her parents, along with her employers and all her friends. Though Sharon is often coarse and earthy, she is still a remarkably sensible young woman, and she soon discovers who her friends really are.  Some people tease and torment her, some make remarks to her siblings, some force her father to take direct action in her defense, and all spread gossip.