Feisty but sheltered Penelope Stanton grew up in Gilded Age Newport, Rhode Island, thinking things would never change. Penelope thought she would always enjoy the long, leisurely days of playing Chopin on her baby grand piano and riding her horse to the nearby cliffs. Her parents had even arranged the perfect marriage for her--to a boy she really liked no less--named Sam.
That is, until one day when her whole life is whisked out from under her. Suddenly impoverished by her father's financial ruin, her fiancé pulls out of the marriage, leaving poor Penelope destitute of any prospects. Frightened, and incapable of making sound decisions, her parents threaten to send her away. Instead she runs away to Boston, where a special skill of hers helps her land a job in the early women's suffrage movement. But it’s not an easy adjustment. She can’t figure out who to trust. And she’s living hand-to-mouth. Her roommate is furious at her. And then adding to the pain, her mother shows up on her doorstep.
As Penelope grows in the movement, her past catches up to her and an old paramour threatens to unravel everything she's fighting for. She will need to reach down deep inside herself to find her hidden reserves of courage and tenacity. During a glittering age where a woman’s reputation is her most valuable possession, Penelope must decide whether to compromise her principles for love.