The Valley, the City, the Village — Glyn Jones

A rich depiction of the conflicting cultural, social, and political values in Wales in the 1900s, this powerful and exceptional narrative follows Trystan Morgan as he comes of age. An artist at heart, Trystan abandons his dreams of painting the Welsh countryside to instead fulfill a pledge to his grandmother to attend university and become a preacher. Initially revolted by the social posturing around him, he soon finds it liberating, as he ultimately finds his own way through the glittering, crowded, and kaleidoscopic world of mid-20th-century Wales.