0:00:00 > 0:00:00- Subtitles
0:00:00 > 0:00:02- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:00:11 > 0:00:13- "It was a cold winter's night.
0:00:14 > 0:00:18- "Outside, the wind howled - and the rain poured...
0:00:18 > 0:00:21- "..but inside - the cosy Nantoer home...
0:00:21 > 0:00:23- "..the fire smiled happily...
0:00:23 > 0:00:27- "..and a warm glow surrounded - the family sat beside it."
0:00:28 > 0:00:32- This novel - was published a century ago.
0:00:32 > 0:00:35- Teulu Bach Nantoer by Moelona...
0:00:35 > 0:00:39- ..is the most popular children's - novel ever written in Welsh.
0:00:40 > 0:00:43- It influenced - a generation of children....
0:00:43 > 0:00:47- ..along with many novelists - who later followed Moelona.
0:00:47 > 0:00:50- She draws you into the novel...
0:00:50 > 0:00:53- ..and sustains - your interest throughout.
0:00:53 > 0:00:57- You become part of - the Teulu Bach Nantoer family.
0:00:57 > 0:01:00- Is it a good story, Mair?
0:01:00 > 0:01:04- Teulu Bach Nantoer's - popularity is remarkable.
0:01:04 > 0:01:08- No other novel - has sold as many copies.
0:01:08 > 0:01:11- It's the most popular novel - for 50 years or more.
0:01:13 > 0:01:16- I used to pester Mam...
0:01:16 > 0:01:20- ..to buy a copy - of Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:01:21 > 0:01:24- I remember pestering her so much...
0:01:24 > 0:01:28- ..to be completely honest, - I was a bloody nuisance.
0:01:30 > 0:01:35- First of all, she won the literary - prize at the Eisteddfod in 1912.
0:01:35 > 0:01:38- Her work was then published...
0:01:39 > 0:01:41- ..at the beginning of 1913.
0:01:41 > 0:01:46- From then on, everybody - wanted to read Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:01:48 > 0:01:51- Moelona, or Elizabeth Mary Owen...
0:01:51 > 0:01:53- ..was born in 1877.
0:01:53 > 0:01:56- She wrote many romantic stories...
0:01:56 > 0:02:00- ..and along with other novelists, - was encouraged by OM Edwards...
0:02:01 > 0:02:03- ..to write popular fiction in Welsh.
0:02:04 > 0:02:06- OM Edwards believed...
0:02:07 > 0:02:11- ..it was very important...
0:02:11 > 0:02:14- ..to restore the nation's pride...
0:02:15 > 0:02:18- ..by having female authors - as well as male authors.
0:02:18 > 0:02:22- It was important - to have literature...
0:02:22 > 0:02:25- ..written from a female perspective.
0:02:26 > 0:02:28- He inspired them to write.
0:02:30 > 0:02:32- She made a significant contribution.
0:02:33 > 0:02:36- She's an author...
0:02:36 > 0:02:40- ..who wrote candidly - in the Welsh language...
0:02:40 > 0:02:43- ..about the battle - to win women the vote.
0:02:43 > 0:02:47- She also wrote about the struggle - facing the Welsh language.
0:02:48 > 0:02:53- The battle for the language - and women's rights go hand in hand.
0:02:53 > 0:02:58- Moelona also wrote many novels - that appealed to children.
0:02:58 > 0:03:01- Stories and tales about Wales...
0:03:01 > 0:03:03- ..that became very popular.
0:03:04 > 0:03:08- Encouraging children to read in - Welsh was part of the campaign...
0:03:09 > 0:03:11- ..to restore the nation's pride.
0:03:11 > 0:03:13- ..to restore the nation's pride.- - Internationally...
0:03:13 > 0:03:15- ..female authors...
0:03:15 > 0:03:21- ..often begin their literary career - by writing children's stories...
0:03:21 > 0:03:25- ..before progressing - to adult literature.
0:03:25 > 0:03:29- The idea - that children's literature...
0:03:29 > 0:03:31- ..is part of a domestic world...
0:03:32 > 0:03:34- ..in which - the mother is best placed...
0:03:34 > 0:03:38- ..to educate - and entertain her children...
0:03:38 > 0:03:40- ..is the captive audience.
0:03:41 > 0:03:43- There's a voluntary connection...
0:03:43 > 0:03:47- ..between women - and children's literature.
0:03:47 > 0:03:53- Teulu Bach Nantoer is Moelona's - most well-known children's novel...
0:03:53 > 0:03:56- ..in which Gwen Owen, - a single mother...
0:03:56 > 0:03:59- ..raises - her four children in poverty.
0:03:59 > 0:04:01- Ieuan, the eldest, is a keen reader.
0:04:01 > 0:04:04- Alun wants to be a sailor.
0:04:05 > 0:04:07- Mair enjoys playing house...
0:04:07 > 0:04:10- ..and little Eiry - is the family's youngest child.
0:04:10 > 0:04:14- The novel was very popular - with sales reaching 30,000.
0:04:15 > 0:04:18- It created - a generation of young readers...
0:04:18 > 0:04:22- ..who were reading - popular literature in Welsh...
0:04:22 > 0:04:24- ..for the very first time.
0:04:24 > 0:04:28- Memories of reading the novel - are very much alive.
0:04:28 > 0:04:31- I went to school - just before my fifth birthday.
0:04:31 > 0:04:33- I pestered my mother.
0:04:34 > 0:04:37- The first story - Mrs Evans read us at school...
0:04:38 > 0:04:40- ..was Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:04:42 > 0:04:45- I was bowled over by the story...
0:04:45 > 0:04:48- ..so much so - that we acted out this novel.
0:04:48 > 0:04:51- We put on our own play.
0:04:51 > 0:04:54- I was always - the posh lady from America.
0:04:54 > 0:04:57- I stole a blanket from home.
0:05:01 > 0:05:03- I also borrowed Emyr Llion...
0:05:03 > 0:05:07- ..the smallest child - I knew at the time.
0:05:07 > 0:05:11- I dressed him in flowery curtains - fastened with a safety pin.
0:05:12 > 0:05:14- He was little Eiry.
0:05:14 > 0:05:17- We made up all kinds of stories.
0:05:17 > 0:05:20- We sat on a large, flat stone...
0:05:20 > 0:05:22- ..and pretended it was a ship.
0:05:22 > 0:05:26- We took Emyr Llion with us, - wrapped in these curtains.
0:05:29 > 0:05:31- They were such happy days.
0:05:33 > 0:05:37- This is a copy of the book - my father received...
0:05:37 > 0:05:42- ..as a gift for reciting in 1931, - when he was 12, in Llanbrynmair.
0:05:42 > 0:05:47- "Presented to Evan Leonard Jones - for reciting in the Pandy."
0:05:47 > 0:05:51- The handwriting underneath - reads, "Stand up for Wales."
0:05:52 > 0:05:55- "Each side of the fire, - beneath the chimney...
0:05:56 > 0:05:58- "..were two long sills.
0:05:58 > 0:06:01- "Ieuan, - a 12-year-old boy with dark eyes...
0:06:01 > 0:06:04- "..sat on one of them, - avidly reading a book.
0:06:05 > 0:06:07- "Alun sat on the other...
0:06:07 > 0:06:10- "..with his carpenter's tools...
0:06:10 > 0:06:14- "..perfecting - his latest timber creation.
0:06:14 > 0:06:18- "He was 10 years old, - with fair hair and blue eyes.
0:06:18 > 0:06:21- "Mair and little Eiry - sat on two stools.
0:06:21 > 0:06:26- "One had dark hair, the other - had a mop of golden curls.
0:06:26 > 0:06:30- "They were sharing - a new picture book."
0:06:30 > 0:06:34- I remember Mam - reading the novel to us as children.
0:06:34 > 0:06:38- I thought there was a similarity - between us and the Nantoer family.
0:06:39 > 0:06:42- On winter nights - we'd sit by the fire...
0:06:42 > 0:06:45- ..either reading a book, - colouring in...
0:06:45 > 0:06:48- ..playing games or playing cards.
0:06:48 > 0:06:51- Mam would sew - or she'd darn an item of clothing.
0:06:52 > 0:06:55- Or she'd knit while my father - fell asleep in the chair.
0:06:56 > 0:06:59- For many, the favourite character - in the book...
0:06:59 > 0:07:02- ..is Eiry, the golden-haired child.
0:07:03 > 0:07:07- There are countless Eirys in Wales - and further afield...
0:07:07 > 0:07:12- ..who've been named after - the novel's lovable character.
0:07:15 > 0:07:19- I was given a copy of - Teulu Bach Nantoer at a young age.
0:07:19 > 0:07:22- The main character - had the same name as me...
0:07:23 > 0:07:26- ..so I always felt - that I was the little girl.
0:07:26 > 0:07:31- I think my parents - were definitely swayed by the name.
0:07:32 > 0:07:37- I'm not sure if I was named after - the Eiry in Teulu Bach Nantoer...
0:07:37 > 0:07:40- ..but it certainly influenced them.
0:07:40 > 0:07:44- When I read the book, - I was the same age as Mair.
0:07:45 > 0:07:49- But when I read Teulu Bach Nantoer, - I could relate to Mair and Eiry.
0:07:50 > 0:07:52- Eiry because of the name...
0:07:53 > 0:07:55- ..and Mair - because she was closer in age.
0:07:55 > 0:07:58- "Eiry was an extremely pretty child.
0:07:58 > 0:08:03- "Her hair fell in golden ringlets...
0:08:05 > 0:08:08- "..and the skin - on her forehead, neck and arms...
0:08:08 > 0:08:11- "..was the colour of fresh milk.
0:08:11 > 0:08:14- "She always had a smile on her face.
0:08:14 > 0:08:17- "Her blue eyes - were full of mischief.
0:08:17 > 0:08:23- "It's no wonder that her mother, - pressing her close to her heart...
0:08:23 > 0:08:27- "..anxiously asked her, 'What will - become of you, my dear child?'"
0:08:28 > 0:08:32- I've said that so many times to - my own children and grandchildren.
0:08:32 > 0:08:35- "What will become of you, - my dear child?"
0:08:35 > 0:08:37- Alright? I'm ready to cry now!
0:08:42 > 0:08:45- Moelon, Rhydlewis, - south Cardiganshire...
0:08:45 > 0:08:49- ..is where Elizabeth Mary Owen, - or Moelona, was born.
0:08:52 > 0:08:56- The village is six miles - north of Newcastle Emlyn.
0:08:56 > 0:08:59- Back then, - Welsh was the spoken language.
0:08:59 > 0:09:02- It was a Welsh-speaking community.
0:09:04 > 0:09:06- Moelona's upbringing here...
0:09:07 > 0:09:10- ..ignited her passion for Wales - and the Welsh language.
0:09:11 > 0:09:14- Her parents had farmed here - for more than 20 years...
0:09:15 > 0:09:17- ..before Moelona was born.
0:09:17 > 0:09:21- She was the youngest of 13 children.
0:09:21 > 0:09:24- They later moved, - but it's obvious...
0:09:24 > 0:09:28- ..that first home - was important to her as an author...
0:09:28 > 0:09:30- ..since - she adopted the pen-name Moelona.
0:09:44 > 0:09:46- Life in rural Wales...
0:09:46 > 0:09:50- ..especially - in the Rhydlewis area...
0:09:50 > 0:09:54- ..during Moelona's youth...
0:09:54 > 0:09:57- ..was simple and very primitive.
0:09:57 > 0:09:59- Families were poor...
0:10:00 > 0:10:05- ..and due to the nature - of the landscape, farms were small.
0:10:05 > 0:10:08- On average, - the farms in the locality...
0:10:08 > 0:10:13- ..in which Moelona was raised - covered 20-30 hectares.
0:10:13 > 0:10:16- It made living conditions very hard.
0:10:16 > 0:10:21- People in rural areas were - in poor health during that time...
0:10:21 > 0:10:25- ..as we can see - from Moelona's family.
0:10:25 > 0:10:29- Infant mortality...
0:10:29 > 0:10:33- ..is an incredibly - hard thing to deal with.
0:10:35 > 0:10:39- The Moelon family - had its fair share of tragedy.
0:10:39 > 0:10:42- Two years before Moelona was born...
0:10:42 > 0:10:46- ..three children died - within a week of each other.
0:10:46 > 0:10:51- On the day they buried two children - here in Awen cemetery...
0:10:51 > 0:10:55- ..by the time they arrived home - after the funeral...
0:10:55 > 0:10:57- ..another child had died.
0:10:57 > 0:11:01- It's hard for us today - to imagine such tragedy.
0:11:15 > 0:11:19- Tragedy also strikes - the Nantoer family.
0:11:19 > 0:11:23- Something awful happens - to a family member...
0:11:23 > 0:11:26- ..which changes the story's tone.
0:11:26 > 0:11:30- It's possible that the sad events - at the heart of the novel...
0:11:30 > 0:11:35- ..are rooted in Moelona's own - traumatic experiences in Rhydlewis.
0:11:43 > 0:11:43- .
0:11:45 > 0:11:45- Subtitles
0:11:45 > 0:11:47- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:11:52 > 0:11:56- Teulu Bach Nantoer - was published a century ago.
0:11:56 > 0:12:00- It was the most popular children's - novel ever written in Welsh.
0:12:00 > 0:12:04- This was the novel - teachers read to their pupils...
0:12:04 > 0:12:06- ..right across Wales.
0:12:06 > 0:12:09- I fell in love with the story.
0:12:09 > 0:12:14- I thought it was terrific.
0:12:14 > 0:12:18- I pestered my mother constantly...
0:12:18 > 0:12:21- ..to buy Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:12:22 > 0:12:26- To be completely honest with you...
0:12:26 > 0:12:28- ..I know I'm on television...
0:12:29 > 0:12:31- ..but I was a bloody nuisance...
0:12:31 > 0:12:33- ..harping on about this book.
0:12:34 > 0:12:36- She told me one time...
0:12:36 > 0:12:40- .."If you're a good boy...
0:12:40 > 0:12:44- "..perhaps Santa Claus - will bring you Teulu Bach Nantoer."
0:12:44 > 0:12:48- Well, if I was a good boy before...
0:12:48 > 0:12:51- ..I was definitely - a good boy afterwards!
0:12:51 > 0:12:54- I was thoroughly well behaved...
0:12:54 > 0:12:59- ..because I wanted - a copy of this book so much.
0:13:01 > 0:13:03- On Christmas Eve...
0:13:03 > 0:13:06- ..I was still - waiting patiently for the book.
0:13:07 > 0:13:11- My brother and I went to bed...
0:13:11 > 0:13:13- ..and on Christmas morning...
0:13:14 > 0:13:16- ..when we got up...
0:13:16 > 0:13:20- ..in a pillowcase - at the foot of the bed...
0:13:20 > 0:13:24- ..was Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:13:24 > 0:13:26- I was overjoyed.
0:13:27 > 0:13:29- I'd had what I wanted.
0:13:30 > 0:13:33- Even if you'd given me - all the gold in the world...
0:13:33 > 0:13:37- ..nothing could compare.
0:13:37 > 0:13:41- The family is the focus - of the novel, of course.
0:13:41 > 0:13:45- The Nantoer home is a holy place.
0:13:45 > 0:13:49- Gwen Owen, the hard-working, - loving single mother...
0:13:50 > 0:13:52- ..is the heart and soul - of the family.
0:13:52 > 0:13:55- # We both fall over
0:13:55 > 0:13:57- # Well, what a trick! #
0:13:57 > 0:14:01- If you consider an American classic - like Little Women...
0:14:01 > 0:14:06- ..the focus is that - of a female-orientated family.
0:14:06 > 0:14:10- The father's absent - in Little Women - he's away at war.
0:14:10 > 0:14:15- The Teulu Bach Nantoer novel begins - after the death of the father.
0:14:15 > 0:14:17- The absence of a patriarch...
0:14:17 > 0:14:20- ..was commonplace - in international literature.
0:14:20 > 0:14:23- "There was no father at home.
0:14:23 > 0:14:25- "For two years or more...
0:14:25 > 0:14:30- "..Elis Owen's name was carved - on a headstone at Y Bryn cemetery.
0:14:31 > 0:14:34- "Mam rarely mentioned him - to the children.
0:14:34 > 0:14:39- "She preferred Ieuan and Alun - not to remember him at all...
0:14:40 > 0:14:43- "..than to remember him - as a drunken father...
0:14:43 > 0:14:46- "..staggering home late at night.
0:14:47 > 0:14:52- "Since he spent all his money and - died before reaching middle age...
0:14:52 > 0:14:56- "..the young widow - had to ask the parish for help...
0:14:56 > 0:14:58- "..in raising her four children."
0:14:59 > 0:15:03- In Teulu Bach Nantoer, - there's an idyllic image...
0:15:04 > 0:15:08- ..of a contented family, which was - commonplace in Welsh literature.
0:15:08 > 0:15:12- It was a reaction - to the Blue Books' report...
0:15:12 > 0:15:15- ..into the state of education - in Wales in 1847.
0:15:15 > 0:15:19- According to the commissioners, - who were English Anglicans...
0:15:20 > 0:15:24- ..the Welsh and the Nonconformist - chapelgoers were illiterate...
0:15:24 > 0:15:26- ..immoral and primitive.
0:15:27 > 0:15:30- Many felt that Wales - and its people were betrayed....
0:15:31 > 0:15:33- ..by the Treachery - of the Blue Books.
0:15:33 > 0:15:37- What it did to the Welsh, - in terms of the chapelgoers...
0:15:38 > 0:15:40- ..was to make them virtuous.
0:15:40 > 0:15:45- They spent decades - creating an image for themselves...
0:15:45 > 0:15:49- ..as paragons of respectability - and Wales as a land of song.
0:15:49 > 0:15:52- It's still a part - of our national identity...
0:15:52 > 0:15:55- ..as is the archetypal Welsh mam.
0:15:56 > 0:16:00- The commissioners were particularly - harsh about Welsh women.
0:16:00 > 0:16:03- They were very sexy...
0:16:03 > 0:16:05- ..and volatile.
0:16:06 > 0:16:10- There was - no control over them whatsoever.
0:16:11 > 0:16:14- Naturally after that...
0:16:14 > 0:16:18- ..things swung to the other extreme, - as described by Moelona.
0:16:18 > 0:16:22- This idea of a decent family - and a strong matriarch.
0:16:22 > 0:16:24- The Welsh mother.
0:16:24 > 0:16:27- It's the mother who rules...
0:16:28 > 0:16:30- ..the Nantoer cottage.
0:16:30 > 0:16:34- The mother's personality is crucial.
0:16:34 > 0:16:37- Her influence - over her children is crucial.
0:16:37 > 0:16:40- That's part of the lesson, in a way.
0:16:40 > 0:16:44- That's the way a mother - should behave with her children.
0:16:45 > 0:16:49- This can be interpreted - as part of the Welsh tradition...
0:16:49 > 0:16:53- ..to contradict what was said - in the 19th century...
0:16:54 > 0:16:57- ..about the women of Wales - in the Blue Books.
0:16:57 > 0:17:02- A cosy home life represented - some sort of Welsh ideal.
0:17:02 > 0:17:05- The first picture - in Teulu Bach Nantoer...
0:17:05 > 0:17:07- ..is of a family at home...
0:17:07 > 0:17:12- ..with the mother sewing...
0:17:12 > 0:17:15- ..and all the children reading.
0:17:15 > 0:17:17- The lesson is crystal clear.
0:17:18 > 0:17:21- The lessons - in Teulu Bach Nantoer are obvious.
0:17:22 > 0:17:24- Obey your parents.
0:17:24 > 0:17:28- Be good Welsh people and be - ambitious, like Moelona herself.
0:17:29 > 0:17:32- Despite - her impoverished upbringing...
0:17:32 > 0:17:34- ..she trained as a teacher.
0:17:34 > 0:17:37- A teacher is never too far - from her literature.
0:17:38 > 0:17:40- Alun wanted to be a ship's captain.
0:17:40 > 0:17:45- Ieuan, the eldest son, was also - ambitious and wanted to be an MP.
0:17:45 > 0:17:49- Supporting them all the way - is their mother, Gwen Owen.
0:17:49 > 0:17:52- "'Mam,' said Ieuan suddenly...
0:17:53 > 0:17:55- "..as he closed his book.
0:17:55 > 0:17:58- "'We're a poor family, aren't we?'"
0:18:00 > 0:18:03- "'Yes, I'm afraid so, my boy,' - said his mother.
0:18:03 > 0:18:05- "'Why do you ask?'
0:18:05 > 0:18:08- "'I've been - reading about Abraham Lincoln.
0:18:09 > 0:18:12- "'He was as poor as he - could possibly be when he was small.
0:18:13 > 0:18:16- "'But before he died, - he was the president of America.
0:18:16 > 0:18:20- "'I'm going to be like - Abraham Lincoln when I grow up.
0:18:20 > 0:18:24- "'He has a wonderful history,' - said Ieuan...
0:18:24 > 0:18:26- "..with a glint in his eye."
0:18:28 > 0:18:32- "'If you make the most of your time - and your ability...
0:18:33 > 0:18:37- "'..and if you're a good boy...
0:18:37 > 0:18:41- "'..you, my little Welshman...
0:18:42 > 0:18:45- "'..will become - an important man one day.'
0:18:46 > 0:18:51- "Ieuan listened - without uttering a word...
0:18:51 > 0:18:54- "..like he always did...
0:18:54 > 0:18:58- "..when his mother - spoke seriously to him...
0:18:58 > 0:19:00- "..like she was doing now."
0:19:03 > 0:19:05- Great, isn't it?
0:19:07 > 0:19:09- Fulfilling a dream...
0:19:09 > 0:19:13- ..under the guidance of his mother.
0:19:13 > 0:19:17- This is a young character - who's very ambitious...
0:19:18 > 0:19:21- ..in terms of his hopes and dreams.
0:19:21 > 0:19:26- His dream is to become - as influential as Abraham Lincoln.
0:19:26 > 0:19:28- Moelona is telling young readers...
0:19:29 > 0:19:33- ..to broaden their horizons - instead of being parochial...
0:19:33 > 0:19:35- ..and to be ambitious...
0:19:35 > 0:19:39- ..because you can achieve - whatever you want.
0:19:39 > 0:19:41- This is the crux of the novel.
0:19:41 > 0:19:44- It's a story about hopes and dreams.
0:19:44 > 0:19:47- There is also - tragedy and heartbreak...
0:19:47 > 0:19:49- ..but in the end...
0:19:49 > 0:19:53- ..there is a message of hope - for the younger generation.
0:19:54 > 0:19:56- It's stereotypical of its time.
0:19:56 > 0:20:01- It's about the young boy's - far-fetched ambition.
0:20:01 > 0:20:07- The son wants to do good. - He wants to be Abraham Lincoln.
0:20:07 > 0:20:10- He ends up - becoming a member of parliament...
0:20:11 > 0:20:15- ..so he doesn't quite make it, - but his ambition is very clear cut.
0:20:15 > 0:20:20- He thinks he's going to conquer the - world and be an influential person.
0:20:21 > 0:20:23- The theme of important men...
0:20:23 > 0:20:27- ..is central to the novel...
0:20:27 > 0:20:31- ..whereas his poor sister's ambition - is to become a maid.
0:20:31 > 0:20:34- There are - no expectations or aspirations...
0:20:34 > 0:20:37- ..for the females of the time.
0:20:37 > 0:20:39- Despite his intelligence...
0:20:40 > 0:20:43- ..poverty forces Ieuan - to leave school.
0:20:43 > 0:20:48- He works as a farmhand but - seizes every opportunity to read.
0:20:50 > 0:20:55- The farm's owner offers him - a chance to improve his life.
0:20:55 > 0:20:58- He finds him a job - at a law firm in Cardiff.
0:20:58 > 0:21:01- Despite her lack of ambition - as a child...
0:21:01 > 0:21:05- ..Mair becomes a teacher and - continues to live at home with Mam.
0:21:06 > 0:21:10- Unlike Mair, - Moelona broadened her horizons.
0:21:11 > 0:21:14- She taught in other areas - besides Rhydlewis.
0:21:15 > 0:21:17- Like Ieuan in her novel, - she went to live in Cardiff.
0:21:18 > 0:21:22- Moelona came to live here in 1905...
0:21:22 > 0:21:26- ..the same year as Cardiff - became the capital of Wales.
0:21:26 > 0:21:30- The young teacher was thrilled - with her urban lifestyle.
0:21:31 > 0:21:34- She came to a place that was - thriving and full of opportunities.
0:21:35 > 0:21:38- The coal industry was at its height.
0:21:39 > 0:21:41- New wealth - brought new institutions.
0:21:42 > 0:21:45- A university - and a grand central library.
0:21:45 > 0:21:47- It was here in Cardiff...
0:21:48 > 0:21:52- ..that Moelona - wrote Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:21:53 > 0:21:59- She recreated the rural idyll of her - childhood in Rhydlewis from afar.
0:22:01 > 0:22:04- The novel - portrays a bucolic lifestyle.
0:22:04 > 0:22:09- Despite the poverty, the children - were free to enjoy nature.
0:22:09 > 0:22:12- One day they come across - a couple of strangers.
0:22:12 > 0:22:15- An English woman and a Welshman.
0:22:15 > 0:22:19- The woman - is bowled over by little Eiry.
0:22:24 > 0:22:27- Soon, tragedy strikes the family.
0:22:27 > 0:22:29- Eiry goes missing.
0:22:29 > 0:22:30- Eiry!
0:22:30 > 0:22:33- Eiry!- - Eiry!
0:22:38 > 0:22:40- Eiry!
0:22:44 > 0:22:46- Eiry!
0:22:49 > 0:22:51- Believe it or not...
0:22:51 > 0:22:56- ..I've read - Teulu Bach Nantoer dozens of times.
0:22:56 > 0:23:00- Why have I read it so many times?
0:23:01 > 0:23:04- I've read it dozens of times...
0:23:04 > 0:23:07- ..for one reason in particular.
0:23:07 > 0:23:10- You'll never believe - the reason behind it.
0:23:11 > 0:23:15- I read it because I liked crying.
0:23:15 > 0:23:18- I cried, sobbed...
0:23:19 > 0:23:21- ..wailed...
0:23:21 > 0:23:24- ..in the same place every time.
0:23:25 > 0:23:30- What's interesting - about Teulu Bach Nantoer...
0:23:30 > 0:23:34- ..is the fact - that there is only one incident.
0:23:34 > 0:23:37- Today's novels - recount many incidents.
0:23:37 > 0:23:40- But the only incident - is Eiry's disappearance.
0:23:40 > 0:23:44- The way it's written - is so emotional...
0:23:45 > 0:23:49- ..and yet so subtle...
0:23:49 > 0:23:52- ..she draws you - right into the story...
0:23:52 > 0:23:55- ..and sustains your interest.
0:23:55 > 0:23:58- She makes you - want to know what happens.
0:23:58 > 0:24:03- "After searching for some time, - Alun found one of Eiry's toys.
0:24:04 > 0:24:06- "It was - in the middle of Cae Bach.
0:24:07 > 0:24:13- "The mother remembered how she used - to take the toy to bed with her."
0:24:13 > 0:24:15- When I read the book...
0:24:15 > 0:24:19- ..I felt the emotion - welling inside of me.
0:24:19 > 0:24:21- It made me very tearful.
0:24:21 > 0:24:26- I wondered if the story about Eiry - was in my subconscious...
0:24:26 > 0:24:28- ..after re-reading it...
0:24:29 > 0:24:33- ..and was linked to the stories - about missing children in Wales...
0:24:34 > 0:24:38- ..and in Britain today, like - April Jones and Madeleine McCann.
0:24:39 > 0:24:42- I wonder - if that heightened my emotion?
0:24:43 > 0:24:45- Yesterday and today merge into one.
0:24:45 > 0:24:47- After searching in vain...
0:24:48 > 0:24:52- ..the family believes that little - Eiry has drowned in the river.
0:24:52 > 0:24:55- "There was no body to cry over.
0:24:55 > 0:24:58- "Flowers - wouldn't be planted at her grave.
0:24:58 > 0:25:00- "Suddenly she was gone...
0:25:01 > 0:25:04- "..the most beautiful - and happiest of them all...
0:25:04 > 0:25:07- "..never to be seen again.
0:25:07 > 0:25:10- "For a long, long time after that...
0:25:10 > 0:25:14- "..the Nantoer family was very sad."
0:25:19 > 0:25:19- .
0:25:24 > 0:25:24- Subtitles
0:25:24 > 0:25:26- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:25:30 > 0:25:35- Teulu Bach Nantoer - was published 100 years ago.
0:25:35 > 0:25:37- Though they were poor...
0:25:37 > 0:25:42- ..the Nantoer family was happy, - with Gwen Owen, the single mother...
0:25:43 > 0:25:45- ..at its heart.
0:25:45 > 0:25:48- A profound sadness - had overcome them...
0:25:48 > 0:25:51- ..after the youngest daughter, - Eiry, disappeared.
0:25:51 > 0:25:56- Valmai Lloyd has been enamoured - with the book since her school days.
0:25:57 > 0:25:59- After years of searching...
0:25:59 > 0:26:04- ..not knowing the book's title or - author, she recently found a copy.
0:26:04 > 0:26:06- The shopkeeper said to me...
0:26:06 > 0:26:10- .."I'm sorry but I don't think - I can sell it to you...
0:26:10 > 0:26:13- "..because - it's in such poor condition."
0:26:14 > 0:26:16- I said, - "Oh, please, I must have it."
0:26:16 > 0:26:22- She said, "Would you leave some - money in the charity box instead?"
0:26:23 > 0:26:26- I said, "I'd be more than happy to - if you give me the book."
0:26:33 > 0:26:35- Here it is.
0:26:37 > 0:26:39- It's very dear to me.
0:26:39 > 0:26:43- As I was walking out of the shop...
0:26:43 > 0:26:45- ..the shopkeeper said to me...
0:26:45 > 0:26:50- .."I hope you get the same pleasure - reading it as an adult...
0:26:50 > 0:26:52- "..as you did - when you were a child."
0:26:53 > 0:26:56- And I have.
0:26:57 > 0:26:59- What do you have here?
0:26:59 > 0:27:03- This is an anthology of - 19th-century children's literature.
0:27:03 > 0:27:05- Dr Siwsan Rosser...
0:27:06 > 0:27:10- ..specializes in children's - Welsh-language literature.
0:27:10 > 0:27:13- Literature was dour - before Teulu Bach Nantoer...
0:27:13 > 0:27:16- ..and belonged to - the world of the chapel.
0:27:17 > 0:27:19- Later in the century...
0:27:19 > 0:27:22- ..came Cymru'r Plant, - from 1892 onwards.
0:27:22 > 0:27:24- It was OM Edward's influence.
0:27:24 > 0:27:28- He profoundly - influenced children's literature.
0:27:28 > 0:27:32- The early 20th century - saw a transformation in literature.
0:27:32 > 0:27:37- Many children's magazines were - circulated in the 19th century...
0:27:37 > 0:27:42- ..and by the end of the century, OM - Edwards introduced Cymru'r Plant...
0:27:43 > 0:27:47- ..which heralded a new chapter - in children's literature...
0:27:47 > 0:27:49- ..to which Moelona belonged.
0:27:49 > 0:27:53- Young authors were - delivering more varied literature...
0:27:54 > 0:27:56- ..to young audiences.
0:27:56 > 0:28:01- The beginning of the 20th century - was a period of transformation.
0:28:01 > 0:28:05- It was a breath of fresh air to - see novels like Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:28:05 > 0:28:08- It was a social novel, of course.
0:28:08 > 0:28:13- It was during this time that they - added pictures to children's books.
0:28:14 > 0:28:16- Some of the pictures - are important...
0:28:17 > 0:28:20- ..because often children - read a picture just as well.
0:28:21 > 0:28:25- They like to gauge what's happening - and put it into context.
0:28:25 > 0:28:29- This is a period when the focus...
0:28:29 > 0:28:31- ..shifts to childhood.
0:28:32 > 0:28:37- Despite the hardships - endured by the Welsh...
0:28:37 > 0:28:41- ..conditions had improved - by the end of the 19th century...
0:28:41 > 0:28:44- ..and the turn - of the 20th century.
0:28:44 > 0:28:48- People's health wasn't as poor - as it had previously been.
0:28:48 > 0:28:53- Because of that, and perhaps - for the first time in our history...
0:28:53 > 0:28:56- ..the concept of childhood - was surfacing...
0:28:57 > 0:28:59- ..and of children - as separate beings...
0:29:00 > 0:29:04- ..who could be nurtured - and moulded by society...
0:29:04 > 0:29:07- ..and be educated.
0:29:08 > 0:29:12- She was eager to improve - children's command of the language.
0:29:13 > 0:29:18- She also encouraged the children - of Wales to speak Welsh.
0:29:18 > 0:29:23- There's a strong didactic element - in her children's literature.
0:29:23 > 0:29:26- It's evident in Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:29:26 > 0:29:31- But there are other elements to the - novel that make it more interesting.
0:29:32 > 0:29:34- Midway through the novel...
0:29:34 > 0:29:36- ..a rector goes to school...
0:29:37 > 0:29:40- ..and preaches to the children - about Welsh identity.
0:29:40 > 0:29:45- It was strange to encounter it - so early on in the century...
0:29:45 > 0:29:50- ..preaching about the importance - of being Welsh and Welshness.
0:29:50 > 0:29:53- He told them - they could learn English...
0:29:53 > 0:29:58- ..but they should never let the - English language supersede Welsh.
0:29:58 > 0:30:03- I thought it was very interesting - that he said that...
0:30:03 > 0:30:08- ..although it was essentially - Moelona's sentiments and propaganda.
0:30:08 > 0:30:11- She introduces the novel...
0:30:11 > 0:30:13- ..and hopes they will like it.
0:30:13 > 0:30:18- She wants to entertain them, and - most of the novel is entertaining.
0:30:18 > 0:30:20- But she also wants them...
0:30:20 > 0:30:24- ..to love their language, - their country and nation.
0:30:25 > 0:30:28- She wants the novel - to serve that purpose too.
0:30:28 > 0:30:30- The speech clarifies her aims...
0:30:31 > 0:30:33- ..to entertain but also to educate.
0:30:33 > 0:30:36- That was Moelona's nature.
0:30:37 > 0:30:39- Lizzie Mary Owen was a teacher...
0:30:39 > 0:30:42- ..and a Welsh nationalist.
0:30:42 > 0:30:45- Her sentiments - are reflected in this book.
0:30:45 > 0:30:48- The family - and the community in the novel...
0:30:48 > 0:30:54- ..represent this desire to - inspire Wales's younger generation.
0:30:59 > 0:31:03- I returned to my old school, - Ysgol Dyffryn Teifi...
0:31:03 > 0:31:07- ..which is now - a bilingual school in Llandysul.
0:31:07 > 0:31:12- I wanted to know what children - nowadays thought of the novel.
0:31:14 > 0:31:16- I'm going to start with Lois...
0:31:17 > 0:31:22- ..because I'm going to ask - your opinion of Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:31:22 > 0:31:25- I thought the book - was very interesting...
0:31:26 > 0:31:30- ..in terms of the history, and I - know it was written 100 years ago...
0:31:30 > 0:31:34- ..but I thought - the writing was old fashioned.
0:31:34 > 0:31:36- Mr Pugh came in...
0:31:36 > 0:31:41- ..and gave the children - a speech about the Welsh language.
0:31:42 > 0:31:44- I enjoyed the speech.
0:31:44 > 0:31:47- It was three pages long - but I enjoyed it.
0:31:47 > 0:31:52- I think the author wasn't - just talking to the children...
0:31:52 > 0:31:54- She was talking to the reader.
0:31:56 > 0:31:58- And you enjoyed that?
0:31:58 > 0:32:01- Yes, I thought, 'I'm going - to do something about this!'
0:32:02 > 0:32:05- Did you really? - It inspired you to do something?
0:32:05 > 0:32:08- Did you get the message, William?
0:32:08 > 0:32:14- Yes, but I thought it - interrupted the story a little bit.
0:32:14 > 0:32:18- You wanted to read it but you - wanted to carry on with the story.
0:32:19 > 0:32:24- Straight afterwards, the biggest - event happens - Eiry disappears.
0:32:24 > 0:32:26- I really enjoyed the speech...
0:32:26 > 0:32:30- ..and it inspired me - to help the Welsh language...
0:32:30 > 0:32:33- ..by speaking Welsh all the time.
0:32:33 > 0:32:36- In 1917, - Moelona married Tywi Jones...
0:32:36 > 0:32:39- ..a minister - from the Swansea Valley.
0:32:40 > 0:32:43- He was the editor - of the weekly magazine, Y Darian.
0:32:43 > 0:32:48- They worked in tandem to preserve - the Welsh language in the valley.
0:32:48 > 0:32:53- They were worried that the Swansea - Valley was becoming anglicized.
0:32:53 > 0:32:57- They felt that the obvious answer - was to work with children...
0:32:58 > 0:33:01- ..by encouraging them - to speak and read in Welsh.
0:33:01 > 0:33:04- Throughout their years together...
0:33:04 > 0:33:07- ..they loaned - Welsh books to the children.
0:33:07 > 0:33:11- My grandfather came to Glais - in 1906...
0:33:11 > 0:33:14- ..and until he married - 11 years later...
0:33:15 > 0:33:17- ..and with the help - of the chapel and so on...
0:33:18 > 0:33:23- ..he shared more than 500 Welsh - books with the area's children.
0:33:23 > 0:33:29- Moelona was responsible for - the children's column in Y Darian...
0:33:29 > 0:33:34- ..when my grandfather - was the editor...
0:33:34 > 0:33:36- ..for almost 20 years.
0:33:36 > 0:33:40- For the majority of that time, - she was responsible.
0:33:40 > 0:33:45- If anyone won a competition, the - prize would always be a Welsh book.
0:33:48 > 0:33:52- Her family - have fond memories of Moelona.
0:33:52 > 0:33:55- I've come to meet - three of her great-nieces.
0:33:55 > 0:33:59- The women's grandmother - was Moelona's sister.
0:34:01 > 0:34:05- When I was born, - Mam chose my first name...
0:34:05 > 0:34:10- ..and Dad chose - my middle name, Moelona.
0:34:11 > 0:34:13- He wrote to Moelona...
0:34:13 > 0:34:17- ..asking permission to use her name.
0:34:17 > 0:34:21- That's where my name, - Glenys Moelona, comes from.
0:34:21 > 0:34:23- I remember her well.
0:34:23 > 0:34:27- She would come by bus - to visit us on the farm.
0:34:27 > 0:34:29- My mother was her niece.
0:34:29 > 0:34:34- She liked visiting us, - but I can't say why.
0:34:34 > 0:34:38- Perhaps because - we were out in the countryside.
0:34:38 > 0:34:41- She liked to teach us things, - didn't she?
0:34:42 > 0:34:46- She liked - reading her stories to children...
0:34:46 > 0:34:50- ..and hearing - what they thought of them.
0:34:50 > 0:34:53- Did you go and visit them - in New Quay?
0:34:53 > 0:34:57- Yes, we'd go there in summer - so we could be by the seaside.
0:34:58 > 0:35:02- We'd have tea with her. She - was good at making gooseberry jam.
0:35:02 > 0:35:05- They grew in her garden...
0:35:05 > 0:35:07- ..and blackcurrants too.
0:35:08 > 0:35:11- Despite being close - to her own family...
0:35:11 > 0:35:16- ..she was distant with her husband's - daughters from his first marriage...
0:35:16 > 0:35:19- ..Sophie and Gwyneth, - Helen's mother.
0:35:19 > 0:35:21- When my grandfather remarried...
0:35:22 > 0:35:26- ..Moelona insisted that the girls - be sent away to boarding school.
0:35:27 > 0:35:31- It had never crossed - my grandfather's mind.
0:35:31 > 0:35:36- The girls felt rejected.
0:35:36 > 0:35:41- I remember my grandfather coming - to visit. He was a very sweet man.
0:35:41 > 0:35:44- The only time - I remember seeing her...
0:35:45 > 0:35:47- ..was when I was 12 years old.
0:35:47 > 0:35:52- My grandfather was poorly and we - went to New Quay to visit him.
0:35:52 > 0:35:56- I have to admit, - I can't remember much about her.
0:35:58 > 0:36:02- She was a stranger to me - and I was a little scared of her.
0:36:06 > 0:36:09- Time goes by at Nantoer cottage.
0:36:09 > 0:36:13- The children grow up, and the two - sons make their mark on the world.
0:36:14 > 0:36:17- Ieuan is a successful solicitor - and Alun a ship's captain.
0:36:18 > 0:36:21- Mair is a teacher and - continues to live with her mother.
0:36:21 > 0:36:25- There is great joy - when the boys return home...
0:36:25 > 0:36:27- ..but little Eiry...
0:36:28 > 0:36:31- ..is never far - from Gwen Owen's thoughts.
0:36:31 > 0:36:37- Then, something miraculous happens - that gives the family renewed hope.
0:36:40 > 0:36:41- .
0:36:43 > 0:36:43- Subtitles
0:36:43 > 0:36:45- Subtitles- - Subtitles
0:36:49 > 0:36:54- Moelona, - author of Teulu Bach Nantoer...
0:36:55 > 0:36:58- ..the novel read by - thousands of children in Wales...
0:36:58 > 0:37:02- ..came to New Quay with her husband, - Tywi Jones, to retire.
0:37:02 > 0:37:05- She returned - to familiar surroundings.
0:37:06 > 0:37:10- This is the sea she would've - gazed upon as a child in Rhydlewis.
0:37:13 > 0:37:18- This is the bay that Alun - in the story had seen from Nantoer.
0:37:18 > 0:37:22- Like thousands - of Cardiganshire men at the time...
0:37:22 > 0:37:24- ..it was Alun's dream to go to sea.
0:37:25 > 0:37:28- Alun rescues a young girl - from drowning in the sea...
0:37:29 > 0:37:32- ..off the coast of America.
0:37:32 > 0:37:36- The ship on which Elsie May - had been a passenger had sunk.
0:37:36 > 0:37:39- The girl's father - had already drowned.
0:37:41 > 0:37:45- Tragedy had also struck the Nantoer - family many years previously...
0:37:45 > 0:37:50- ..when Eiry, Gwen Owen's - youngest daughter, disappeared.
0:37:50 > 0:37:52- They believed she had drowned too.
0:37:52 > 0:37:56- But they discovered the truth - many years later.
0:37:56 > 0:38:00- Years after Eiry disappeared, - she suddenly comes home.
0:38:00 > 0:38:05- She had been snatched by - the two strangers many years ago...
0:38:06 > 0:38:08- ..and been brought up - as their daughter.
0:38:09 > 0:38:13- This was the Elsie May - whom Alun had rescued from the sea.
0:38:14 > 0:38:17- The scene that everyone remembers...
0:38:17 > 0:38:19- ..is little Eiry's return.
0:38:20 > 0:38:22- Eiry had been kidnapped...
0:38:22 > 0:38:28- ..and many years later - she returns to Nantoer...
0:38:28 > 0:38:30- ..and says, "It's me, Eiry."
0:38:33 > 0:38:36- It's a sentimental scene...
0:38:36 > 0:38:39- ..and it's memorable.
0:38:39 > 0:38:41- But it's also allegorical.
0:38:41 > 0:38:44- Little Eiry comes back - to her beloved country.
0:38:45 > 0:38:48- She was kidnapped - by the nasty English woman...
0:38:48 > 0:38:50- ..and now she's home.
0:38:50 > 0:38:53- That's the crux of the sermon, - in a way.
0:38:53 > 0:38:58- You must all come back to the Wales - personified by the Nantoer family.
0:39:01 > 0:39:03- 100 years ago...
0:39:04 > 0:39:07- ..Moelona published - Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:39:07 > 0:39:11- Two years later, - Caradoc Evans published My People.
0:39:11 > 0:39:15- The pair had been in the same class - at school in Rhydlewis...
0:39:16 > 0:39:20- ..and they were both well acquainted - with the old community.
0:39:20 > 0:39:22- But having read the books...
0:39:22 > 0:39:28- ..they had viewed that community - through very different eyes.
0:39:32 > 0:39:35- Moelona creates - this perfect image...
0:39:35 > 0:39:38- ..of a Welsh upbringing - in idyllic rural Wales.
0:39:38 > 0:39:42- But Caradoc Evans - vilifies that same community.
0:39:42 > 0:39:47- My People's short stories decries - the Wales of his upbringing...
0:39:48 > 0:39:50- ..and Nonconformist Wales.
0:39:50 > 0:39:52- Moelona wanted to prove...
0:39:52 > 0:39:56- ..that the damning portrayal - of the Welsh in the Blue Books...
0:39:57 > 0:39:59- ..was spurious.
0:39:59 > 0:40:02- But Caradoc - created an image of the Welsh...
0:40:02 > 0:40:06- ..akin to the Blue Books' - derogatory portrayal.
0:40:08 > 0:40:11- They're two extremes - of the same phenomenon.
0:40:12 > 0:40:17- That phenomenon was the outcry - in Wales created by the Blue Books.
0:40:17 > 0:40:20- There are two expressions of that.
0:40:20 > 0:40:24- Those who were virtuous - created a cold image of rural folk.
0:40:25 > 0:40:27- Moelona portrayed - the cosy home and so on.
0:40:28 > 0:40:33- And then there were those, once that - golden image had been instilled...
0:40:33 > 0:40:35- ..who contradicted that very image.
0:40:35 > 0:40:39- So there were two extremes - of the same image.
0:40:40 > 0:40:45- It's appropriate they both came from - the same place and social class.
0:40:45 > 0:40:50- If you were to compare - Teulu Bach Nantoer and My People...
0:40:50 > 0:40:55- ..they're two novels - that are polls apart.
0:40:55 > 0:40:58- One of them - is a sentimental novel...
0:40:58 > 0:41:02- ..while the other - is a dark and Gothic portrayal.
0:41:03 > 0:41:06- Caradoc's interpretation - is raw and harsh.
0:41:06 > 0:41:08- It portrays a cruel society...
0:41:09 > 0:41:14- ..and one which is introverted - and pseudo-religious.
0:41:14 > 0:41:17- He creates this image...
0:41:17 > 0:41:20- ..and literary world...
0:41:20 > 0:41:22- ..that is very dark.
0:41:22 > 0:41:25- But there are also - humorous elements in his work.
0:41:26 > 0:41:29- There's a wonderful story...
0:41:29 > 0:41:33- ..about a husband and wife - who were members of Sion chapel...
0:41:33 > 0:41:36- ..travelling to Aberystwyth - by bus...
0:41:36 > 0:41:39- ..and the husband dies - in Aberystwyth.
0:41:39 > 0:41:42- They each have a return ticket...
0:41:42 > 0:41:46- ..and the wife feels she has to - take the body back on the bus.
0:41:46 > 0:41:50- Macabre overtones emerge...
0:41:50 > 0:41:53- ..throughout Caradoc Evans's work.
0:41:53 > 0:41:57- In technical terms, - one is pastoral...
0:41:57 > 0:42:01- ..and the other is anti-pastoral.
0:42:01 > 0:42:05- The anti-pastoral - is what you get from Caradoc Evans.
0:42:05 > 0:42:08- Caradoc Evans - gives a satirical account.
0:42:08 > 0:42:12- He's satirizing - this fake image of rural Wales.
0:42:12 > 0:42:16- It's not a balanced portrayal...
0:42:16 > 0:42:18- ..of the reality of rural society.
0:42:19 > 0:42:21- It's a kind of dialogue - with Maelona.
0:42:22 > 0:42:26- I think Caradoc Evans - wrote My People...
0:42:26 > 0:42:30- ..as a satire of Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:42:30 > 0:42:34- He'd certainly read - Teulu Bach Nantoer.
0:42:34 > 0:42:38- Everybody was reading - Teulu Bach Nantoer in 1913.
0:42:38 > 0:42:41- It was a phenomenon at the time.
0:42:44 > 0:42:46- He read it and thought...
0:42:47 > 0:42:49- ..'Rhydlewis - wasn't like this for me.'
0:42:50 > 0:42:52- I'm sure - Moelona would have read My People.
0:42:53 > 0:42:56- Everybody was reading - My People too...
0:42:56 > 0:43:00- ..despite the fact that - the police were burning copies...
0:43:00 > 0:43:02- ..on the streets of Cardiff.
0:43:02 > 0:43:06- But everybody - wanted to read it, of course.
0:43:08 > 0:43:12- I'm sure My People - would've angered Moelona.
0:43:12 > 0:43:15- She wrote to Caradoc...
0:43:15 > 0:43:18- ..because her next offering...
0:43:19 > 0:43:22- ..was Bugail Y Bryn, - a historical novel...
0:43:22 > 0:43:26- ..centred around - a religious minister in chapel.
0:43:26 > 0:43:29- The minister is idealized.
0:43:30 > 0:43:36- He's the antithesis of the - corrupt, hypocritical ministers...
0:43:36 > 0:43:39- ..found in - Caradoc Evans's My People.
0:43:39 > 0:43:43- It's as if they're talking - to one another and arguing...
0:43:43 > 0:43:46- ..through their literature.
0:43:47 > 0:43:50- Teulu Bach Nantoer - left an impression....
0:43:50 > 0:43:53- ..on generations - of children in Wales...
0:43:53 > 0:43:55- ..despite its weaknesses.
0:43:55 > 0:44:00- It idealizes and makes Wales's rural - society appear whiter than white.
0:44:00 > 0:44:04- She paints a very - conservative picture of women.
0:44:04 > 0:44:06- It's very sentimental...
0:44:06 > 0:44:09- ..and coincidences - are very far-fetched.
0:44:09 > 0:44:14- The story about Alun going to sea - and rescuing the girl...
0:44:14 > 0:44:16- ..from drowning...
0:44:17 > 0:44:20- ..only to discover - she's his sister...
0:44:20 > 0:44:24- ..is a little too convenient, - perhaps.
0:44:25 > 0:44:29- But at the time, when I read it, - I didn't think that at all.
0:44:29 > 0:44:33- It's the adult, not the child, - who's sceptical.
0:44:33 > 0:44:36- It's a little unbelievable...
0:44:36 > 0:44:40- ..that Alun saves a girl - from the sea in America...
0:44:41 > 0:44:43- ..and thinks no more about it...
0:44:43 > 0:44:47- ..until he comes back to Wales - to stay and sees a picture of her.
0:44:48 > 0:44:53- She comes to Wales and it just - so happens that she's his sister.
0:44:53 > 0:44:57- It's unbelievable - and a huge coincidence!
0:44:57 > 0:45:01- Its popularity for 50 years or more - is undisputed.
0:45:01 > 0:45:04- Readers have fond memories - of reading it...
0:45:04 > 0:45:08- ..although some found it - too sentimental...
0:45:08 > 0:45:11- ..and the coincidences - too convenient.
0:45:11 > 0:45:14- But it sustained its popularity.
0:45:14 > 0:45:18- We should celebrate - children's literature from the past.
0:45:18 > 0:45:22- We should appreciate - that it tells us a great deal...
0:45:22 > 0:45:24- ..about the culture of the age.
0:45:24 > 0:45:27- I think the author...
0:45:27 > 0:45:30- ..by writing this novel...
0:45:30 > 0:45:33- ..has written very meticulously.
0:45:33 > 0:45:36- It's been written - so intelligently...
0:45:36 > 0:45:39- ..that she makes her world credible.
0:45:39 > 0:45:42- She's aware of people's emotions.
0:45:43 > 0:45:46- She draws you into the novel - and keeps you there.
0:45:47 > 0:45:51- Teulu Bach Nantoer becomes - part of your consciousness.
0:45:52 > 0:45:54- I read it often...
0:45:54 > 0:45:56- ..especially if it's raining...
0:45:57 > 0:45:59- ..and I'm feeling low.
0:45:59 > 0:46:01- It lifts my spirits.
0:46:01 > 0:46:04- I can't lend it to anyone either...
0:46:04 > 0:46:06- ..in case I don't get it back.
0:46:07 > 0:46:09- I worship it.
0:46:10 > 0:46:12- It's the readers...
0:46:12 > 0:46:16- ..who've highlighted - the importance of the novel.
0:46:16 > 0:46:20- Many generations have read it.
0:46:20 > 0:46:24- Suddenly, during the second half - of the 20th century...
0:46:24 > 0:46:27- ..there were - more novels to choose from...
0:46:27 > 0:46:32- ..and the focus shifted from Teulu - Bach Nantoer to more varied novels.
0:46:32 > 0:46:34- We lost sight of it...
0:46:35 > 0:46:40- ..and perhaps it's not appreciated - as much as it was a century ago.
0:46:43 > 0:46:47- The story of Gwen Owen's family - and the tragedy of losing Eiry...
0:46:48 > 0:46:51- ..has enchanted - generations of children.
0:46:51 > 0:46:54- The story has a happy ending - - Eiry comes home.
0:46:54 > 0:46:59- The children, through perseverance, - ambition and hard work...
0:46:59 > 0:47:02- ..escape their poverty - by contributing to life...
0:47:02 > 0:47:05- ..in their locality, - Wales and the world.
0:47:06 > 0:47:09- The novel ends with - Gwen Owen and her daughters...
0:47:09 > 0:47:13- ..living in a quaint hew house, - close to Nantoer cottage.
0:47:14 > 0:47:16- For more than half a century...
0:47:16 > 0:47:19- ..Teulu Bach Nantoer - was the novel to read.
0:47:19 > 0:47:23- The only Welsh-language novel - available to many.
0:47:23 > 0:47:29- If books can show us the world as - it could be, or as it should be...
0:47:29 > 0:47:34- ..then Moelona - and the Nantoer family...
0:47:34 > 0:47:37- ..deserve their place - in our history.
0:47:53 > 0:47:55- S4C Subtitles by Adnod Cyf.
0:47:55 > 0:47:56- .