Set in stifled industrial Staffordshire in the late nineteenth century against a strong evangelical background "Anna of the Five Towns" tells of the courting of hard businessman Ephraim Tellright's daughter by prosperous and accomplished Henry Mynors. As her father's fortune grows so does Anna's understanding. She realises her legacy and responsibility for the possible ruination of her father's tenants Titus Price and his son Willie, who also loves her. Mynors is soon in partnership with Tellright. Will Anna defy the miserly Ephraim, offend Mynors, with their marriage imminent, and help the unfortunate Prices or subdue her instincts and resign herself to the way of business?

Enoch Arnold Bennett (1867-1931) was a British novelist born in a modest house in the Potteries district of Staffordshire. At age 21 Arnold, who worked as a rent collector went to London as a solicitor's clerk. He won a literary competition in Tit Bits magazine in 1889 and was encouraged to take up journalism full time. In 1894 he became assistant editor of the periodical Woman. He noticed that the material offered by a syndicate to the magazine was not very good, so he wrote a serial which was bought for 75 pounds. Just over four years later his first novel was published to critical acclaim.

From 1900 he devoted himself full time to writing. He moved to Paris, and spent the next eight years writing novels and plays. In 1908 The Old Wives' Tale was published, and was an immediate success throughout the English-speaking world and hailed as a masterpiece.

During the First World War, he became Director of Propaganda at the War Ministry. He refused a knighthood in 1918.