The sunset of the 19th century is not the best time for sincere love, but an ideal one for marriages of convenience. The heroine of this novel by a classic of American literature, the freedom-loving Isabel, shocks society by refusing an advantageous marriage. Driven by curiosity and the desire to act against her overbearing family, she agrees to marry a mysterious gentleman who turns out to be a selfish despot. Isabel will have to overcome much in order to break the bonds of family and break free toward true feeling, bringing light and hope.