A Shropshire village is Ann Handley’s home in 1851. Her father has destined her to be a farmer’s wife, and says she doesn’t need to read and write. Feeling constrained at home, she longs to escape. But just as Ann begins to make her way out into the world, a shocking encounter brings misfortune and conflict to her door. She’s forced to leave the village and find work elsewhere; a pattern which future generations will follow.  Letters from the Past is the story of four generations of an ordinary English family.