This is a fairytale of a story, a story of searching for, finding, and losing love. Set mostly in 19th-century Ireland with all of its prejudices, violence, and ignorance, the story concerns two heroines who ultimately overcome all of that to find love and happiness. Beautiful and talented, both Angela and her sister, Ena, were relegated to the kitchen and to child-rearing during a time when women were forbidden an education. However, despite circumstances beyond their control, they overcome their disadvantages and finally find the lives they hoped for.