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: Easy (6th Grade)

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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.

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