The Richlands is an historical novel

Historical novel

According to Encyclopædia Britannica, a historical novel is-Development:An early example of historical prose fiction is Luó Guànzhōng's 14th century Romance of the Three Kingdoms, which covers one of the most important periods of Chinese history and left a lasting impact on Chinese culture.The...

 by the American

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 writer Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Agnes Sligh Turnbull

Agnes Sligh Turnbull was a bestselling American writer, most noted for her works of historical fiction based in her native Western Pennsylvania.-Biography:...

 (1888-1982) set in a rural village in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania

-Demographics:As of the census of 2000, there were 369,993 people, 149,813 households, and 104,569 families residing in the county. The population density was 361 people per square mile . There were 161,058 housing units at an average density of 157 per square mile...

, thirty miles east of Pittsburgh.

At the turn of the century in Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania

Western Pennsylvania consists of the western third of the state of Pennsylvania in the United States. Pittsburgh is the largest city in the region, with a metropolitan area population of about 2.4 million people, and serves as its economic and cultural center. Erie, Altoona, and Johnstown are its...

, Jim Ryall decides to farm the Richlands instead of going to law school. There are two women in Jim's life: his pretty bride Peggy and gentle Phoebe, who takes care of his two children after Peggy's death.