Mary Webb was a British writer in the early 20th century. She had a brief moment of fame in the 1920s when her novel, “Precious Bane,” became popular then another briefer moment more recently when it was made into a movie by the BBC.
Most of her life, though, Mary Webb spent in rural England writing about traditional life there and supporting herself by selling produce she grew and other similar pursuits. What is amazing about Mary Webb is her very deep connection to nature. When I read her work I feel as if nature is speaking through her directly to me. She expresses the transcendent beauty and profound meaningfulness of the nature that we take for granted everyday. She wrote a number of novels — Precious Bane is my favorite and is a delightful love story also — and a book of poetry and nature essays. You can probably find reprints of her work, especially the novel, here and there. Look her up!
