Book excerpt: Day after day Phoebe is subjected to living as a servant in her brother's home, picked on by her hateful sister-in-law, and forced to endure matchmaking schemes influenced by greed. Marriage to an ill-tempered man with several misbehaving children seems to be her lot, and her hope is about to be snuffed out. Could a chance encounter in the woods change the direction of her life and finally introduce her to someone who could care about her?