1879 – Virginia
Helping the orphan children in Richmond just might overturn everything Gracie thought she knew, including the value of love.
Gracie Williams has always had an adventurous streak, which led her from her home in the Shenandoah Valley to Richmond, Virginia, where she can devote her life to the orphan children. Though her beauty has brought on the advances of many men, she has no plans to marry, and finds suitors an unfortunate irritation she doesn’t have time for—much to her parents’ chagrin.
When she befriends Matthew Weston, the mature and serious orphanage superintendent, she confides in him and believes he shares her goals. Neither are prepared for the sparks that fly. Tension grows as Matthew falls in love with her, yet realizes he is just another man in the long line of would-be suitors.
A family crisis, an orphan train, and the plight of a sweet orphan named Emma throw the couple together in deep and meaningful ways. But will this be enough for Gracie to embrace a new way of thinking, and the gift of love that only true soulmates can share?