In 1934, during the Depression, Kit's cantankerous uncle comes to live in the Cincinnati boardinghouse run by her parents, enlisting her aid in transcribing his complaining letters to the editor of the local newspaper and inspiring her to write a different kind of letter of her own.

A historical novel that tells the story of painter Emily Carr, who shook up the early 20th century art scene with uncompromising brushstrokes that captured the fading wilderness of an increasingly industrialized British Columbia as well as the indigenous villages, the tribal peoples and their dying customs and art forms.

"When the Duke and Duchess of Kent rent a nearby house for the winter, the Summers sisters are called upon to host three of the royal couple's male staff in their seaside cottage--but soon they realize they've invited mysterious secrets into their home. With the arrival of their new guests, the sisters face surprising romance and unexpected danger."--

"The one thing Sylvie Townsend wants most is what she feared she was destined never to have--a family of her own. But taking in Polish immigrant Rose Dabrowski to raise and love quells those fears--until seventeen-year-old Rose goes missing at the World's Fair, and Sylvie's world unravels. Brushed off by the authorities, Sylvie turns to her boarder, Kristof Bartok, for help. He is Rose's violin instructor and the concertmaster for the Columbian Exposition...

"Dorothy Richardson is existing just above the poverty line, doing secretarial work at a dentist's office ... when she is invited to spend the weekend with a childhood friend. Jane has recently married a writer who is hovering on the brink of fame. His name is H.G. Wells, or Bertie, as they call him ... Dorothy notices his grey-blue eyes taking her in, openly signalling approval. He tells her he and Jane have an agreement which allows them the freedom...

It is 1934, and the Great Depression has found the Kittredges. First, Kit's father loses his job, then the family is forced to take in boarders to make ends meet.