Another story that sent me searching on the internet and if I had followed every link I would still be looking! Set on the imaginary Dillon’s Island across the way from Harrisburg, Pennsylvania in 1840, the island, in the Susquehanna River, is accessible by boat and by ford if the river is low enough. Plain Elvira Kilmer (Ellie) has been left penniless after caring for her sickly mother until her death. She went for refuge to a cousin who turned her out when she confronted him about his Mistress. She then went to this cousin’s brother who reluctantly gave her shelter but insisted that she go to work ‘voluntarily’ for a widower with two young children on Dillon’s island. This necessitated a two hour walk to and fro and of course a boat ride across the river. This harsh treatment sets the scene for the story but it evolves in heart-warming ways after a very rocky start. I loved some of the characters introduced and enjoyed disliking others, it is certainly not all plain sailing for Ellie, or Jackson, the widower, who has his own secrets to confront.