Morgan's Woman

Continuing the saga of the little Welsh mining community of Sweyn's Eye, Gower (Spinner's Wharf centers on the women whose interconnected lives are a source of sustenance and renewal for them. Catherine, the central female character, struggles to maintain vitality in an unromantic marriage and a hardscrabble farm. When her husband, David, returns from World War I paralyzed in soul as well as body, another veteran throws in his lot with the young couple to help them run Ram's Tor farm. Predictably, the virile, handsome helper, Morgan, an eligible bachelor but a reluctant farmer, will be attracted to Catherine. Characteristically rich in subplots, the novel follows the tragedies and joys of some of the women, strong in their Welsh heritage, encountered in earlier novels. Although Gower effectively back-fills so that the current volume is independent, readers acquainted with the earlier books will find their enjoyment enhanced. (February 13)