Born in Suffolk in 1900, Lillian's life spans the twentieth century. The eldest daughter of a farmworker, she is destined for service at the age of twelve, but her life is changed irrevocably, first by World War One, and subsequently even more by World War Two. These dual experiences cast their shadows forward and influence the rest of her life - a long and eventful life. The post-war austerity years, the death of Kennedy, Neil Armstrong's moon walk, the miners' strike, and the opening of the Channel Tunnel are among the cultural and political events of Lillian's turbulent century, all recorded through their effect on the lives of her and her family. This skilfully drawn novel imitates real life so completely that Lillian's story springs off the page to take the reader on a fascinating journey through recent years already fast receding in to distant past.