Set in both modern-day and mid 20th century Whidbey Island, Washington, this dual-narrative story of four women--grandmothers and granddaughters--intertwines across generations to explore the secrets we keep, the love we pass down, and the heirlooms we inherit from a well-lived life.

"Hazel Stillman is a woman of rare independence and limited opportunities. Born with a clubbed foot, she was sent away as a child and, knowing her disability means a marriage is unlikely, she devoted herself to scholarship and education. Now working as a teacher in an elite private girls' school, she is content with the way her story has unfolded. When her uncle Elliott Mayfield presents her with the prospect of a substantial inheritance if she marries,...

"Some of us are more equal than others.... Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanleyhas claimed that he's worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley's family is nervous. For his son Fred, the inheritance Stanley...

Blessing in disguise: Fred Fitzsimmons will soon graduate Trinity College. With only a few weeks, he must continue safeguarding the enormous secret he's been keeping throughout his time in Dublin: that he is actually Winnifred, a woman in disguise. The medical degree she is a breath away from claiming would allow her to save her beloved village. But having her secret revealed would land her in jail. So when Liam Rafferty, a fellow student with a reputation...