The Dearne Valley lies at the heart of the South Yorkshire coalfield. In 1945 that coalfield had sixty-seven pits; today only two survive. Following four generations of his mother's family, the Hollingworths, born between 1890 and 2000, Richard Benson depicts a community characterised not by the stereotype of doughty, unassuming labourers and housewives, but driven individuals relentless in the pursuit of their dreams. In its sweeping but deeply personal history of the working classes, 'The Valley' shows a century punctuated by social upheaval.