The Bonds of Earth — E.V. Thompson

Caught between miners desperate for work and locals disapproving of change, the life of one young man caught in the cross-fires of a brewing storm is irrevocably altered

In 1837, when rich deposits of copper ore are discovered, a huge influx of out-of-work miners flock to the area from Cornwall's far west, bringing with them problems alien to the hard-working but easy-going countrymen. Young Goran Trebartha, whose working life is divided between two farms, finds himself caught between the seemingly incompatible cultures; his problems grow with the arrival of a mine captain and his all-female family. Avarice and intrigue, the vicissitudes of farming life, and the sheer desperation of hungry miners all add to bewildering changes that will permanently change the course of Goran's life.