Publisher's Synopsis
Lolly Willowes or The Loving Huntsman is a novel by Sylvia Townsend Warner, first published in 1926. The story is set in England in the early 20th century and follows the life of Laura ""Lolly"" Willowes, a single woman in her late 30s who is living with her brother and his family in London. Lolly is unhappy with her life and feels suffocated by the expectations placed on her as a woman in society.One day, Lolly decides to break free from her family and move to the countryside. She settles in the small village of Great Mop, where she discovers a new sense of freedom and independence. Lolly becomes fascinated with the local folklore and the idea of witches, and soon finds herself drawn into a group of women who practice witchcraft.As Lolly becomes more involved with the witches, she begins to feel a connection to the natural world and a sense of power that she has never experienced before. However, her newfound freedom is threatened when her family comes to visit and tries to convince her to return to London.Lolly Willowes or The Loving Huntsman is a novel about the struggle for independence and the search for meaning in a society that restricts women's choices. It is a powerful and thought-provoking work of fiction that explores themes of gender, identity, and the supernatural.1926. Sylvia Townsend Warner's first novel is an enduring, subversive, and lyrical portrait of spinsterhood in post-World War I Britain. Lolly is a single woman and after her father dies, she is moved, as a matter of course, to her brother's house, where she meekly obliges to play caregiver to his children and housemaid to his wife. After 20 years of this life she moves to the rural village of Great Mop. She feels an affinity for the town, the countryside, and her new neighbors. She blossoms emotionally and spiritually, and as she does so, she discovers an important secret: She is a witch, as is everybody else who lives in Great Mop. A graceful read in the tradition of women's fiction and magic realism.This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the old original and may contain some imperfections such as library marks and notations. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions, that are true to their original work.
