Publisher's Synopsis
Summer 1907. Mary Pearl and her sister take their minds off the heat by sneaking banned Jane Austen novels from Aunt Sarah's bookshelf. Whispered read alouds preoccupy their nights, and reveries of getting hitched to their own Mr. Darcy à la Pride and Prejudice swirl through their day dreams. In walks Aubrey Hanna, here to whisk 17 year old Mary Pearl off her feet with a forbidden kiss and hasty engagement. With the promise of high society outings and a rich estate, Aubrey's courtship quickly creates petty tension among the women. As autumn approaches all too quickly, Mary Pearl's Wheaton College acceptance counters quick marriage preparations. Days of travel by horse and by train carry her deep into a sophisticated new world of Northern girls' schooling. Seeking friendship but finding foes, she not only learns how to write, read, and draw, but also how to act, dress, and be a woman.
