Prudencia Prim is a young woman of intelligence and achievement, with a deep knowledge of literature and several letters after her name. But when she accepts the post of private librarian in the village of San Ireneo de Arnois, she is unprepared for what she encounters there. Her employer, a book-loving intellectual, is dashing yet contrarian, always ready with a critique of her cherished Jane Austen and Louisa May Alcott. Prudencia had hoped for friendship in San Ireneo but didn't suspect that she might find love-- nor that the course of her new life would offer challenge and heartache as well as joy, discovery and fireside debate.