The Battle to the Weak

A forgotten Welsh novel, first published in 1925, this love story is also a portrait of class conflict and the plight of rural women. The plot turns on young Rhys Lloyd's interest in the ideas of Social Darwinism and the League of Nations, which make him a dangerous figure in his village. To complicate his life further, Rhys is the son of a Welsh-speaking Nonconformist—but he is falling in love with the church-going Esther. The couple suffers from the disapproval of their neighbors, until—over time—the stoic and determined Esther calmly transcends the casual brutality of her agricultural upbringing, improves the lot of the other villagers, and finds new strength and organic spirituality.