Anderby Wold

At Anderby Wold, a family celebration exposes the fault lines beneath a prosperous farm and a proud household. Sarah Bannister arrives keenly aware of rank, gossip, and her own hard-won standing, only to find her influence eclipsed by Mary, her brother John's second wife, whose warmth, competence, and quiet authority now shape the home. Their rivalry sharpens into a struggle over inheritance, domestic power, and who truly belongs at the center of the Robson family. The anniversary tea and its awkward speeches reveal both the farm's hard-won security and the anxieties still haunting it, while Mary's relief at the mortgage's final payment gives way to a shadow of unease. Elsewhere, David steps into a very different conflict, confronting farm laborers in smoky inns and crowded rooms as he tries to turn private hardship into collective action. His speeches on wages, exploitation, and unionizing meet skepticism, pride, and bitter experience, but also awaken anger and recognition. Together, these scenes create a vivid rural drama of class tension, family pride, and the struggle to define a future. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.