The House with the Green Shutters

Set in mid-19th century Ayrshire in the fictitious town of Barbie the novel The House with the Green Shutters (1901) describes the struggles of a proud and taciturn carrier John Gourlay against the spiteful comments and petty machinations of the envious and idle villagers of Barbie (the bodies). The sudden return after fifteen years' absence of the ambitious merchant James Wilson son of a mole-catcher leads to commercial competition against which Gourlay has trouble responding.