How can she 'keep the peace' when there's never been any to keep?

England, 1850. Bookworm Irene Denton lives with a painful secret. To the citizens of Lindenfell, her mother is a kind, generous lady—but behind closed doors, she's a cruel and controlling tyrant. Stories have always been Irene’s refuge, so when the possibility arises for Lindenfell to have a library of its own, Irene is hopeful she’ll soon have a safe place to escape her mother’s merciless grasp.

Solomon Shaw enjoys helping his widowed father run Lindenfell's chemist shop. He wants nothing more than to make his father proud, and to find the courage to win Irene's affections. But the burdensome guilt of a shameful secret has convinced Solomon she can never be his. When the only other person who knows his secret arrives back in town, Solomon fears his hopes will be shattered—and his secret exposed.

Amidst untold pressures, Irene and Solomon kindle mutual hope for a future together. Yet, meddling interlopers and long-buried truths soon signal the end of their story.

But is the book entirely closed on the hope they once had? Or is a new chapter of peace and love still to be written?