Silas Marner is a hermit-style weaver who keeps to himself and is eyed with suspicion by those in the nearby town of Raveloe. Dispelled from his religious community as a young man after being accused of a crime, Marner finds solace in weaving and in gold. But the disappearance of his treasure and the appearance of a small child change the apparent course of his life entirely. - Summary by Sarah Bacaller