Gone to Earth by Mary Webb (1917)

Name: Gone to Earth
Author: Mary Webb

Gone to Earth is a novel by Mary Webb, first published in 1917. It tells the story of Hazel Woodus, a young woman living in the Shropshire countryside in the early 1900s. She is a passionate and independent spirit, and her life is full of joy and sorrow. Hazel is in love with Edward Marston, a wealthy landowner, but her father forbids her to marry him. She is forced to marry Jack Reddin, a local farmer, and she is soon pregnant with his child. When Jack is killed in a hunting accident, Hazel is left alone and destitute. Edward comes to her rescue and they are finally able to marry. But their happiness is short-lived, as Edward is killed in a riding accident. Hazel is left alone again, and she must find a way to survive and care for her child. The novel follows Hazel as she struggles to make a life for herself and her child, and to find a place in the world. Along the way, she discovers strength and courage she never knew she had.

By Mary Webb · First published 1917 · Genre: Romance, Realism, Fantasy · 36 chapters · 82,311 words

First lines

[Dedication: _To him whose presence is home._]

Small feckless clouds were hurried across the vast untroubled sky--shepherdless, futile, imponderable--and were torn to fragments on the fangs of the mountains, so ending their ephemeral adventures with nothing of their fugitive existence left but a few tears.

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Gone to Earth is listed on Textopian as a novel by Mary Webb, dated 1917 CE.

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Work type: Novel
Author: Mary Webb
Date: 1917 CE
Language: English
Genres: Romance, Realism, Fantasy, Naturalism, Historical Fiction
Length: 82,311 words
Structure: 36 chapters, 2,893 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Easy (7th Grade)

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Similar titles

Genres

Romance — The novel follows the story of a young woman, Hazel, and her romantic relationships with two men, Edward and Jack.
Realism — The novel is set in rural England and is written in a realistic style, focusing on the everyday lives of the characters.
Fantasy — The novel contains elements of fantasy, such as Hazel's ability to communicate with animals and her belief in the supernatural.
Naturalism — The novel explores the idea of humans being at the mercy of nature and the environment, and how this affects their lives.

More by Mary Webb

All works by Mary Webb