Anna Tellwright is a daughter of a wealthy but miserable and dictatorial father. She lives in the Potteries area of Staffordshire, England and her everyday activities are strictly controlled by the Methodist church. Anna is struggling for freedom and independence against her father's restraints.

Arnold Bennett (1867 – 1931) was an English writer. He is best known as a novelist, but he also worked in other fields such as the theatre, journalism, propaganda and films. One of Bennett's most popular non-fiction works was the self-help book How to Live on 24 Hours a Day. Bennett's novel The Old Wives' Tale was an immediate success throughout the English-speaking world. The Old Wives' Tale was hailed as a masterpiece.