Author Mary Webb had many readers in her lifetime but was not otherwise greatly esteemed by critics. It was only after her death that Stanley Baldwin, then Britain's Prime Minister, brought about her commercial success, referring to her as a neglected genius. Consequently her collected works were republished and became best sellers in the 1930s, running into many editions.

Her work is still widely admired, and PRECIOUS BANE has survived as her imperishable and most popular novel.