"In this closely observed and carefully crafted story of the Hammer family in nineteenth-century Cornwall, Sue Appleby explores the life of a Cornish tenant farmer, his wives, and offspring. Drawing upon the rich material of her own family history, she investigates the varying fortunes of her great-grandfather, Philip Hammer of Porthpean, near St Austell, and in so doing brings alive the social history of nineteenth-century Cornwall - including the extraordinary Cornish diaspora which scattered Philip's sons and daughters as far afield as Australia and South Africa. The tale of one family, it is also the story of Cornwall itself. Appleby tells it with passion and penetrating insight - an important addition to our understanding of Cornwall's fascinating world-wide heritage." - Professor Philip Payton, Director, Institute of Cornish Studies, University of Exeter (Cornwall Campus)