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As
fifty-year-old Huw Morgan prepares to leave his home in Cwm Rhondda,
Wales, he reminisces about his family and life in his beloved valley.
His memories turn to his father Gwilym, mother Beth, sister Angharad and
his five older brothers, Ianto, Ivor, Gwilym, Davy and Owen.
One afternoon, young Huw's world changes
forever when he falls in love at first sight with Bronwyn, the beautiful
young woman who is engaged to Ivor. The new preacher, Mr. Gruffydd,
conducts the wedding ceremony and he, too, finds love when he and
Angharad catch each other's eye.
Soon after, trouble begins when C. Evans,
the owner of the coal mine, notifies everyone that wages are to be
reduced. Morgan tries to rectify the situation but, when he
cannot, the younger miners, including Davy and the other boys, want to
organize a union and strike. Morgan refuses to allow the boys to
discuss the issue at home, and so Davy, Owen, Ianto and Gwilym move out.
The miners strike soon after and, as twenty-two weeks pass, everyone in
the valley grows hungry and desperate. Some of the miners blame
Morgan for their problems because of his opposition to the strike and
begin to harass him.
One bitter winter night, Beth has Huw take
her to a miners' meeting, at which she castigates those who have
mistreated her husband. On their journey home, Beth falls into a
freezing river and Huw dives in and valiantly holds her head above the
water. The returning men find them and, sometime later, Huw
overhears the doctor tell his family that Huw may never walk again.
Gruffydd refuses to let Huw despair, however, and his gentle
encouragment keeps the boy's spirits up. On the first day that
Beth is well enough to leave her bed, Ianto, Davy, Gwilym and Owen move
back home and are pleased when Gruffydd approves of the union, although
he urges them to take their responsibilities seriously. Gruffydd
and Morgan settle the strike with Evans, but the family suffers
nonetheless when Owen and Gwilym leave for America.
On
a spring day soon after, Gruffydd fulfills his promise to take Huw up on
the mountain to pick daffodils for Beth and, there, Huw takes his first
steps since the accident. Gruffydd's relationship with Angharad
does not progress as well, however, because he refuses to subject her to
the hard life of a preacher's wife. Deeply hurt, Angharad weds
Iestyn, Evans' son, and moves with him to South Africa even though she
still loves Gruffydd.
Meanwhile, Huw passes the exams for the
national school and begins attending classes in the next valley, where
he must deal with local bully Mervyn, and the English Mr. Jonas, a cruel
teacher who hates the Welsh. One night, soon after Ivor is killed
in a mining accident, Bronwyn gives birth to their son, and Huw, who has
decided to work in the mine rather than attend university, goes to live
in her house to keep her company. Conditions in the mine worsen
and Ianto and Davy are dismissed so that Evans can hire new workers for
less pay.
Ianto then leaves for Canada and Davy goes
to New Zealand, while Angharad returns from Capetown without her
husband. She lives alone in the nearby Evans mansion, and soon the
housekeeper, Mrs. Nicholas, begins spreading gossip about Angharad and
Gruffydd, even though they have remained apart. The talk angers
the Morgans, who refuse to attend chapel anymore after the hypocritical
deacons speak out against Angharad. Gruffydd resigns from his post
as well but, as he and Huw are saying farewell, they hear the warning
whistle from the mine. They rush to the site and learn that Morgan
and others are trapped below. While the men at the top pump out
water, Huw and Gruffydd lead a rescue party into the shaft. Huw
finds his father, who hugs him before dying, then takes his body above
to where Beth and Angharad are waiting. |
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