Part of a collection of small-screen epics based on the best-selling books of novelist Catherine Cookson, this turn-of-the-century British drama follows the romantic struggles of two star-crossed lovers. When factory worker John O'Brien (Owen Teale) falls in love with his sister's pretty teacher (Clare Holman), they know the liaison is doomed because of their social status difference. Can love conquer all, or are they destined to be just friends?