How can someone 'keep the peace' when there's never been any peace to keep? England, 1850. Bookworm Irene Denton lives with a painful secret. The citizens of Lindenfell think of her mother as a kind, generous lady—but behind closed doors, she's a cruel tyrant who controls her household with vitriol and violence. Stories have always provided refuge for Irene, so when the possibility arises that Lindenfell could have a library of its own, she’s 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 and longs to pluck up the courage to win Irene's affections. But a shameful secret—and the guilt it burdens him with daily—has convinced him she can never be his. When the figure from his past he hoped he’d never see again arrives back in town, Solomon fears their presence will soon shatter his warm, steady relationship with his father by exposing his secret. Amidst untold devastations and mounting pressures, Irene and Solomon kindle hope for a future together, though 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 can a new chapter of peace and love still be written? Brimming with faith and intrigue, this Christian Victorian romance from award-winning author Edwina Kiernan will encourage and delight you long after you turn the last page.