Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes

"Mehalah: A Story of the Salt Marshes" by S. Baring-Gould, is a 19th-century novel set in the Essex marshes, where a spirited young woman named Mehalah clashes with her overbearing landlord, Elijah Rebow, as he tries to take control of the land and the people living on it. The story is placed on the desolate, yet beautiful, Ray island, where we see the Sharland family face Rebow's threats and demands. Mehalah, along with her sick mother, are in dispute with Rebow, specifically over rent payments and who owns the land. Mehalah's strong will and resistance against Rebow show her independent spirit, foreshadowing the struggles and conflicts she will face in standing up to him. The story shows the social and economic challenges of the region set against the backdrop of the Essex marshes.