The Rainbow tells the story of three generations of the Brangwen family, a dynasty of farmers and craftsmen who live in the east Midlands of England, on the borders of Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire. The book shows how the love relationships of the Brangwens change against the backdrop of the increasing industrialisation of Britain. When the book was first published in 1915, its frank representation of sexuality caused a furore and the novel was seized by the police and banned almost as soon as it was published. Today it is recognised as one of the classic English novels of the twentieth century.