[1] The paperback edition of the book, released by Vintage, carries the following quote by Alan Sillitoe, author of Saturday Night And Sunday Morning, on its cover: "Complete and unique, all stitched up and marvellous, the two sides of the equation brought together, realistic yet philosophical."

[2] Set in an unnamed new town on the outskirts of London, White Trash records the world as seen through the eyes of a hard-working ward nurse, Ruby James, and the remote, at times almost ghostly, administrator Jonathan Jeffreys, who drifts through her hospital.

Working-class Ruby manages to keep her dignity, sense of humour, and sanity despite a life of daily struggle that includes wrestling with the pain of having a mother with Alzheimer's.

Her unfailingly positive and inclusive take on life is in stark contrast to the exclusive viewpoint of the handsomely paid Jeffreys, who spends his hours in the glow of a computer screen and prefers the company of statistics to human beings.

Through these vignettes, as well as the main focus on the contrasts between Ruby James and Jonathan Jeffreys, King establishes that everyone should be valued, no matter their background, age, or condition.