This book continues the story of the two Caxley families, the Norths and the Howards, who were first introduced in 'The Market Square'.The story opens on a fine May morning in the fateful year of 1939. The little country town in wartime, during the lean years which followed and the more prosperous times which came later, forms the setting of Miss Read's new novel which brings the tale of the two closely-knit families to the present time.