A young woman in a small New England community seeks certification to teach and becomes entangled in local rivalries over education and social rank; she endures an examination, illness and convalescence, and cares for family burdens while forming close friendships and a romantic attachment. The narrative traces her moral and emotional growth into womanhood, the strain of gossip and economic responsibility, decisions that affect her future, and the eventual resolution of personal and domestic conflicts leading to marriage and a settled domestic life.