About This Book
A young Southern girl mourns her father's death and, placed under a relative's care, travels away from home where new scenes, friendships, and a consoling dream ease her sorrow. Returning to her plantation life, she blossoms into young womanhood and encounters courtship and family pressures that test her independence and values. The narrative charts emotional maturation against the rhythms of genteel society, examining loss, healing, social expectation, and the shaping influence of place on identity.