'She 'as trouble written right across 'er fore'ead.' That's the verdict from Dorothy Jordan, mistress of Uphall, on the new farmhand. The girl and her brother, a handsome young ploughman, will have profound and unexpected consequences on the Jordan family in Reighton. Jealousy becomes a destructive power as courtships and rivalries are played out during the ploughing match, the midsummer bonfire and the memorable festivities of Christmas. And then there's young Mary, the daughter of William and Mary. Spirited, and with a huge appetite for life, her escapades cause a rift between her parents and divide opinion in the village on how a girl should be reared. Yet, no matter what crises tear families apart, the struggle to survive ensures that life must go on. As old Ben says - ''ope for best, but prepare for worst'.