Edward’s favourite toy was a soft, old, cloth doll. Her name was Constance Hardpenny and she had led a tragic life.

Having been rescued from a rubbish bin by a boy called Edward, Constance suffers a series of potentially catastrophic incidents. More suited to elegant tea parties in a bygone age, she nevertheless remains stoic throughout. From being forgotten and left out in the rain or trapped up a tree, even being caught between the jaws of the neighbour’s dog, Constance is constantly finding herself in mortal danger. Although she’s luckily rescued each time by the watchful Grace, Edward’s loving older sister, it seems disaster is never far behind.

Is Constance doomed to suffer a life of never-ending peril? Probably.