The book consists of four volumes containing coming of age novels set in the Midlands of Victorian England. The story follows Edwin Clayhanger as he leaves school, takes over the family business, and falls in love. The second novel Hilda Lessways tells the story from her coming of age, her working experiences as a shorthand clerk and keeper of a lodging house in London and Brighton. These Twain, the third in the Clayhanger series, chronicles the married...

Originally published in 1912, this collection of short stories is set in the "Five Towns" which refers to the industrial district in the English Midlands where Bennett was born. The volume contains "The Dog," "The Elixir of Youth," "Baby's Bath," "Jock-at-a-Venture," "The Death of Simon Fuge," "The Matador of the Five Towns," "The Feud," "The Lion's Share," among others.

Published in 1905, Tales of the Five Towns collects a dozen stories, divided into two sections: "At Home" and "Abroad." The eight "At Home" tales take place in Bennett's beloved Five Towns, a location based on the Potteries district of Staffordshire, where he spent his early years. "Abroad" contains four stories which, though taking place in London, still have characters connected with the Potteries. All of the tales depict the industrial and social...