It's a clash of cultures and family values in this postwar drama about a young girl (Jessica Fox) returning to her family after spending time in America during World War Two. At first, she clashes with her mother (Sarah Lancashire), but must come to her support when they have to move back in with the prickly Rosemary Leach, the mother of Lancashire's husband, Adrian Lukis, who is away wrapping things up after the end of the war. The only other support they have is from the wonderful Stephanie Cole who can't do much from the house where she lived with Lancashire before they had to move. Lukis's return creates more conflict as the family realizes how much has changed, and Leach manipulates him into sending Fox back to school, a place she hates. It's going to take a lot of strength to get through these trying times, and the independence that Lancashire has gained being on her own will certainly come into play.
The miserable old sow that Leach plays is a manipulative old bag that pushes everybody around and manipulates the situation to her advantage, obviously just liking her daughter-in-law and wanting to see the marriage come to an end. She's a stark contrast to the wonderful character played by Cole, reminding me a lot of Dame Margaret Rutherford. This is the antithesis of "The Best Years of Our Lives" where changes in women after the war were working out and most couples had a happy ending. Fox is terrific as the young Rosemary, feisty and determined, not one to be kept quiet as her grandmother demands. The brother played by Skye King is a bit challenged to put it gently. There's a subplot concerning a war Widow who remarries only to find out that her husband is still living. This is a nice drama about losing any kind of consequences of the end of war that hits normal homes very personally, well-acted and well written.
