A compelling novel of female perseverance and the role of women in society set in the aftermath of the American Civil War.

For readers of Tracy Chevalier. In a world made for men, can one woman break free from tradition and walk a new path? It is 1865, the American Civil War has just ended, and 18-year old Vita Tenney is determined to pursue her lifelong dream of becoming a country doctor like her father.

But when her father tells her she must get married instead, Vita explores every means of escape - and finds one in the person of war veteran Jacob Culhane.

Damaged by what he's seen in battle and with all his family gone, Jacob is seeking investors for a fledgling business.

Then he meets Vita - and together they hatch a plan that should satisfy both their desires. Months later, Vita seemingly has everything she ever wanted.

But alone in a big city and haunted by the mistakes of her past, she wonders if the life she always thought she wanted was too good to be true.