Lolly Willowes (Warbler Classics Annotated Edition)

“An elegantly enchanting tale that transcends its era.” —The Guardian
Set in early twentieth-century England, Lolly Willowes is a satirical comedy of manners and an early feminist classic. With deft storytelling and compelling prose, Sylvia Townsend Warner invites you into a world where convention meets enchantment, where the line between reality and the supernatural is blurred. Lolly Willowes, a woman of quiet rebellion and hidden desires, dares to free herself from a suffocating web of familial and societal expectations. As Lolly sheds her dutiful daughter and obedient sister skin, she finds solace and freedom in the quaint village of Great Mop, with its chalk hills and beech woods. When her newfound contentment is threatened by the arrival of her nephew, she boldly embraces a dark path to secure an audacious and irrevocable freedom.
SYLVIA TOWNSEND WARNER (1893–1978) was a trailblazing British writer and poet whose extraordinary literary contributions defied conventions and left an indelible mark on the literary landscape. She fearlessly explored themes of gender, sexuality, and societal norms, challenging the prevailing attitudes of her time. Warner crafted stories that blended the ordinary with the extraordinary, seamlessly weaving together elements of fantasy, social commentary, and psychological depth. Her works, including Lolly Willowes and The Corner That Held Them, are imbued with her profound understanding of human nature and her ability to illuminate the hidden depths of her characters’ souls. Throughout her career, Warner remained an unwavering advocate for women’s rights and a champion of marginalized voices.