Precious Bane by Mary Webb

A story of superstition and harmony in the natural world set in the countryside near the Welsh border. The female protaginist, Prudence Sarn, is plagued with a hare lip and whispered accusations of witchcraft. Her desperation for love and acceptance are sharply contrasted by her ambitious brother and his unrelenting drive for wealth. There are some great descriptions of nature in here and Webb is a talented writer. It is beautifully written but completely morose and a tad boring. The religious allegory gets kind of lost in the dark and twisted plot. I didn't feel very invested in the characters or in their relationships. It is written in the local dialect of Shropshire in the early 1800's and it isn't difficult to read but did get on my nerves after awhile. Perhaps it was my mood but the story just didn't quite live up to my expectations. I'm kind of shocked by the majority of online reviews which seem to disagree with me.