Robert Crichton

Story of Maggie Drum, a woman from a bleak mining town in Scotland who wants to better her lot in life. She finds Gillon Cameron, poverty stricken but of noble lineage, and they plan to work and starve for 20 years, saving all their money, then buy a business and live like gentry. When Gillon is hurt in a mining accident and the owner refuses to compensate him, a rebellion breaks out among the miners.