The Cinder Path

The Cinder Path is a 1972 novel by Catherine Cookson. In 1994 it was adapted into a film directed by Simon Langton.

Plot introduction[]

In the English countryside of the early 20th century, the working-class protagonist must deal with a cruel and tyrannical father and later with a romantic tangle and a problematic marriage. He must keep, as well, a dark secret which must stay hidden at all costs.

Later, he is taken into the British Army fighting on the Western Front of the First World War, where the shadows of his past pursue him and lead to a climax.

Plot summary[]

Charlie MacFell is the sixteen-year-old son of Edward MacFell, a cruel farm owner who punishes the farm's children and teenagers by forcing them to crawl along a sharp cinder path, causing their hands and knees to be grazed. Among MacFell's main targets is Ginger Slater, a workhouse boy who he whips for stealing a book to try and learn to read. Only MacFell's daughter, Betty, appears to like MacFell and she believes she would run the farm better than her brother.

Both MacFell and his neighbour, gentleman farmer Hal Chapman, have plans to marry Charlie to Chapman's elder daughter Victoria in the hope of one day uniting both their farms. Victoria has many admirers and whilst she wants to marry Charlie she thinks he is weak and intends to do what she likes if they marry.

MacFell has been bedding big Polly Benton, the wife of a crippled former labourer, as payment for her family keeping their cottage and plans to use her teenage daughter, young Polly, to "experience" Charlie. Although attracted to her, Charlie intends to refuse. Polly's brother Arthur misunderstands, thinking MacFell plans to bed Polly himself, and tries to prevent it by setting up a rope that causes MacFell to fall from his horse, accidentally killing him. Charlie covers the matter up, making it look as though the fall was an accident. He inherits the farm and, in order to prevent his mother evicting the Bentons in revenge for MacFell's infidelity, takes over managing it himself. In the old man's will a third of his money goes to his wife and rest to Charlie. Betty is distressed to find out she has been left nothing.

Slater, the only other witness to MacFell's death, uses the knowledge to put pressure on Charlie and Arthur and ultimately blackmails Polly into marrying him.

When Charlie is nineteen, Victoria's younger sister Nellie gets him drunk at her own birthday party, irate that Victoria intends to use the occasion to announce her engagement to Charlie. Jokingly, she persuades him to propose to her. They are interrupted by her father and Victoria. Charlie is told to go home and return when he is sober. He then agrees to marry Victoria.

The marriage soon falls apart; Victoria leaves the farm on inheriting a house in London and takes a lover, spreading stories that Charlie is impotent and their marriage was never consummated. Charlie goes home as his mother is ill. Betty is exhausted - running the farm and caring for their mother. She asks for help. Charlie says if she marries her beau he will not allow him to live at the farm. Betty is frustrated and asks what he will do if he has to go to war and she is left running the farm solo. Charlie says he'll not fight his government's war.

Nellieinherits a house in Gateshead and, with his mother's death, Charlie is left alone at the farm with his sister Betty. conscription then begins and the now twenty-four-year-old Charlie finds himself at a training camp with Slater as his sergeant, who takes delight in humiliating him and despises him for being a conscript rather than a volunteer.

Charlie sees Polly on a bus and she says Slater treats her and their children well but she fears for Charlie. She warns him not to respond to Slater's provocation. Back at the farm he finds out that prisoners of war will be billeted there and Betty will have no man but old Arnold to protect her. Charlie agrees that she can marry Weatherby and bring him there, but if he returns from the war then they must move out. He also says she has worked hard, so, if that happens, she can have half the profits of the farm. If he dies, she will have all of it as he has written a will that excludes Victoria.

Later, Charlie discovers Victoria's current lover is his company commander Major Smith. He tells Victoria her father is dying and she must go to him. Previously, Victoria has threatened to humiliate Charlie by saying he is unable to consummate their marriage and so gain an annulment. Now Charlie considers divorcing her.

On learning Nellie has tried to commit suicide because he ignored her, Charlie realises he loves her. Soon after, he is deployed to France having been promoted to officer rank. He is told this promotion is because they need officers and as a farmer he has given orders to men.

During a push into a German trench, Charlie ends up in charge of a small group of men including Slater. When his old enemy taunts him for 'buying' a commission with his wife's whoredom, Charlie shoots him dead in a rage, but since Slater's rifle was moving towards him at the time, it is later ruled self-defence. Slater's family are told he died bravely in battle and Charlie is commended for getting the rest of the men back safely.

Victoria begs Charlie to give their marriage another try but Charlie refuses. He sees Betty who says the POWs have worked on the farm which has been a help but Wetherby is no longer her beau. Towards the end of the war, Charlie suffers shrapnel injuries and wakes in hospital. A large chunk is lodged close to his heart: If it moves away from it, in can be removed, but it could move into it and kill him.

Nellie comes to see him and they visit Arthur who is severely disabled. He has been told by Polly that the farm is being sold because Charlie is giving it up, but this is not true.

Charlie returns home and Betty has sold the farm's furniture and livestock and fled with the money. She had gotten his signature on a document whilst he was n hospital and not completely aware. Nellie promises to sell her house to help rebuild the farm. She and Charlie consummate their relationship in the old hayloft causing the shrapnel to move away from his heart and leaving him hopeful for the future.

Television adaptation[]

In 1994, the novel was adapted into a three-part mini-series as part of ITV's series of adaptations of Catherine Cookson's novels. The adaptation starred Lloyd Owen as Charlie, Catherine Zeta-Jones as Victoria, Maria Miles as Nellie and Polly Adams as the girls' mother Florence. It was largely faithful to the source material, only removing a few minor characters and situations such as Charlie's encounter with a scrap merchant who gave him a lift, and adding extra scenes between Charlie and Nellie during their relationship (such as a last minute farewell at the train station before he is deployed) and a final confrontation between Charlie and Victoria, who is absent from the last third of the novel.

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