Three generations of women grow up in 20th century England. Lorna breaks away from her stultifying upper-middle-class background to marry an artist - after having a daughter together, Lorna's husband dies in WW2. Lorna's daughter Molly grows up fatherless and almost motherless - Lorna dies in childbirth after marrying again - and becomes a forthright and self-sufficient woman who chooses not to marry after becoming pregnant by her rich lover. Instead, she successfully raises her daughter Ruth on her own. Ruth is lackadaisical - she drifts into jobs, drifts into a marriage and motherhood. Lorna's and Molly's stories were fascinating, as they illuminated a key time in British history and because those women are so strong and interesting. Ruth never came alive for me - I had the feeling the author had no real affection or understanding of her (and maybe of her - and my own!- entire generation). So the book started strong for me but petered out - although Molly does finally find strong love at the end, a very heart-warming episode.