This is the first part of Bentley's famous Inheritance Trilogy.Filmed by Granada in 1967, the Inheritance trilogy is Phyllis Bentley's most widely acclaimed work.Set against the backdrop of the textile industry in the West Riding of Yorkshire, the trilogy chronicles the lives of several families over 153 trouble-torn years, from the Luddite riots of 1812 to the death of Sir Winston Churchill in 1965.

Vividly depicted, and moving to the last, this trilogy is an example of regional fiction at its finest.Speaking of the reason for the work, Bentley wrote that it is a story of "decency and integrity, courage and compassion... passed down the generations; we are always the heirs of the past and begetters of the future ages. It will be seen that this thought is the meaning of the title 'Inheritance.' It is not material wealth which is meant, but a spiritual heritage."