Synopsis
When Laura Willowes’s beloved father dies, she is absorbed in the household of her brother and his family. There, she leaves behind “Laura” and enters into the state of “Aunt Lolly,” a genteel spinster indispensable to the upbringing of her nieces. For twenty years, Lolly is neither indulgent nor impulsive, until one day when she decides to move to a village in the Chilterns, much to her family’s chagrin.
But it’s in the countryside, among nature, where Lolly has her first taste of freedom. Duty-bound to no one except herself, she revels in the solitary life. When her nephew moves there, and Lolly feels once again thrust into her old familial role, she reaches out to the otherworldly, to the darkness, to the unheeded power within the hearts of women to feel at peace once more.
Rating
★★★★
Thoughts
This book caught my attention because it had been chosen in April 1926 by a fledgling Book of the Month Club as its first selection. I was eager to read this witchy tale with a beautiful connection to a book subscription box that I enjoy today.
I’m so happy that I read this gloriously cutting classic work. Warner’s writing is immersive and masterful. Through Lolly’s rather unconventional and feminist character, the author lifts the veil on several women’s issues that are still relevant today.
My only grievance with Lolly Willowes is the transition to the last third of the book. I found it a bit harder to follow, so I found myself rereading passages to understand everything once the Devil entered the story. But in the end, this is a swift and extraordinary story that found a permanent place in my library.
Quote
“There is an amusing sense of superiority in seeing and remaining unseen.”