The Fens remained a remote area until the advent of the railways in the 1860s, but even when transport links improved many of the long-established Fen families stayed put for the next 100 years, wedded as they were to a way of life that was unique to this part of England. Now, in the early years of the twenty-first century, there are still businesses, trades and professions throughout the Fens that have been in the same family for generations - and are still thriving, despite pressures from the modern world of multinationals, cheap imports and online shopping.

Well-know local author Rex Sly, whose own family has been living in the Fens since the seventeenth century, has researched the history of Fenland families, names that everyone who lives in the region will recognise. He has also interviewed many family members and visited their homes, shops and businesses to build up a picture that encompasses not only life in this unique area over the last few centuries but also the thriving life of the Fens today.