National Network for Equitable Library Service

Lancashire, 1858. Annie Hallam has at last found complete happiness. She has three healthy children and adores her husband Frederick.

For Mattie Willit, caught in a thunderstorm running away from her bullying stepfather,rescue comes in the form of Jacob Kemble,a widowed farmer living with his two young children.

Ismay Deagan has one wish in the world - to leave Ireland and join her brother, Bram, in Australia. However, her father has other ideas and orders her to marry their vicious neighbour Rory Flynn.

Edward Zanni has been kicked out of drama school because he's just too "jazz hands" for Juilliard. He moves to New York City and lands a job working as a stealth guest at corporate parties.

It's 1983, and 17-year-old Edward Zanni wants to study acting at Juilliard, but his newly remarried father--who earns too much for Edward to claim scholarship money--refuses to pay.