1932. After the Great War took both her fiancé and her beloved brother, Violet became one of the “surplus women” doomed to loneliness. And yet she can’t come to terms with the fact that all she has left is caring for her perpetually dissatisfied mother. After barely saving a small sum, Violet moves from her family home to Winchester and begins a new, independent life. Besides meager meals, a drafty boarding house, and sideways glances thrown at her bare ring finger—without a ring—there’s something else in this life and in this city: a magnificent cathedral, friendly support, and the magical craft of a needlewoman, which brings comfort and allows her to share it with others. Just as a beautiful tapestry begins with a single small stitch, Violet’s life blossoms with color thanks to her decisive step toward the unknown.