Publisher's Synopsis
Eighteen-year-old Charity Royall is bored with life in the small town of North Dormer. She is a librarian and ward of North Dormer's premier citizen, Lawyer Royall. While working at the library, Charity meets visiting architect Lucius Harney. The novel details the sexual awakening of Charity Royall, and shares many plot similarities with Wharton's better known novel, Ethan Frome.