In the pages of this classic 1936 novel, the passionate and headstrong Jane grows up and grows old, struggling to raise a family of six children on the pittance earned by her slate-quarrying husband, Ifan. Spanning the course of 40 years, this story traces the contours not only of one vividly-evoked Welsh family, but also of a nation coming to self-consciousness. Beginning in the heyday of Methodist fervor and ending with the carnage and disillusionment of the World War I, this book delves into a different culture and world.