'Clayhanger' Summary

Edwin Clayhanger is the son of a successful potter in the Five Towns, a thinly disguised version of the six towns of the Potteries in Staffordshire, England. Edwin is a bright and ambitious young man, but he is also stifled by the expectations of his father and the society he lives in. He longs to break free from the stifling conformity of his surroundings and to find his own path in life. When Edwin falls in love with Hilda Lessways, a young woman from a lower social class, he is torn between his desire for her and the disapproval of his family and friends. The novel follows Edwin as he struggles to reconcile his own desires with the expectations of those around him. Clayhanger is a complex and nuanced portrait of a young man coming to terms with his place in the world. It is a story about love, family, and the challenges of growing up in a society that is rapidly changing.