Warning: wikipedia contains spoilers The novel tells the story of the Morgans, a poor but respectable mining family of the South Wales valleys, through the eyes of the youngest son, Huw Morgan, whose academic ability sets him apart from his elder brothers and enables him to consider a future away from this troubled industrial environment. His four brothers and his father are miners; after the eldest brother, Ifor, is killed in an industrial accident, Huw moves in with his sister-in-law, Bronwen, with whom he is secretly in love. Later, his father is also killed in the mine. Meanwhile, Huw's only sister, Angharad, catches the eye of a wealthy coal-owner, but the marriage is an unhappy one and she enters into a clandestine relationship with the local minister. The death of Huw's father, coupled with the realisation that Bronwen has no romantic interest in him, causes him to leave the valley. In the sequels to the novel, Huw emigrates and makes a new life in Patagonia.
The immensely successful 1941 film of the book had a cast which included Walter Pidgeon, Maureen O'Hara, Anna Lee, Roddy McDowall (as Huw), and Barry Fitzgerald. None of the leading players were Welsh.
The film won five Oscars:
The book was successfully adapted for television during the 1970s by the BBC, with a script by Elaine Morgan. It starred Stanley Baker, Sian Phillips and Nerys Hughes.