Little Esson

There is just so much within the pages of this unusual novel that it's diffucult to give it a proper review. Little Esson is a driving force behind the artists' establishment in Creelport, a small Scottish town. The real main character, though, is Mina Hilliard, a beautiful young woman just coming out of girlhood. Her father's abuse prompts her to throw herself on the mercies of the artists' lodge and beg that one of the artists would be willing to marry her and rescue her from the ignominy of being beaten like a dog when her father wishes.

Dying Terry Fairweather at length makes an offer for her, starting her on a new phase of life. But what will happen once he dies; can she handle his unfriendly relatives and the going back to the town she escaped from upon her marriage?

The story has everything from a deft contrast of false religion and true, to the different perception of a woman once she is married, to the lives of Scottish artists, and so on. Despite some weighty subjects, there is a solid streak of humor as well, especially when the horse Ladas takes the stage with his quirks.