Born within walking distance of ten Nottinghamshire pits, David Herbert Lawrence (1885–1930) was painfully aware that his frail physique and quiet character were ill suited to the mining industry upon which his community depended. The difficulties of his youth are manifest in Sons and Lovers, his first major novel and an insider's portrayal of the culture of the collieries. Writing to a friend, Lawrence explained the seed of his plot: 'a woman of...