
Many words and ideas come to mind when describing this excellent novel: powerful, tender, shimmering with romanticism, vivid, passionate, sensuous, dramatic and suspenseful. In a time long ago, 16-year old Marnie is wed to a much older man (the lord's middle son) in order to save her family. He takes her to a little seaside thatched cottage to live, and Marnie must endure with his drunkenness. After three days, he is killed in a freak accident when re-thatching the roof. Marnie does not grieve, but feels mere relief at this. The villagers outcast her because they believe she was involved in her husband's death. As she tries to get along alone, she meets Raver, the "mad" boy who the villagers think is possessed by the devil. But this is untrue. Marnie discovers that he is not mad, but deaf. She creates a sign language and learns to communicate with him. She re-names him Raven, and a bond forms between them. The climax of the book comes when she is tried as a witch. All in all, this book is a wonderful read for anyone.