From the author of The Saving Graces: "When I crave romance with emotional punch and unforgettable characters, I turn to Patricia Gaffney" (Nora Roberts). Newly installed at his modest post in Wayne's Crossing, Pennsylvania, Tyler Wilkes is a doctor, a hero of the Spanish-American War, and the heir to a great fortune. His wealthy family in Philadelphia doesn't approve of his new station, but Tyler is sure of his calling. And the young ladies of Wayne's Crossing can't seem to get enough of their handsome young physician, exploiting every excuse to visit his offices with imagined maladies. Tyler is most intrigued by Carrie Wiggins. Mute, sensitive, lovely, and troubled, Carrie lives with her abusive alcoholic stepfather, Artemis, in the mountains just outside of town. Her gentle nature and the loving care she bestows on injured animals in the woods quickly endear her to Tyler, though they belie the darkness in her life. Can she overcome her tortured past to give voice to her heart?
