In the small Midwestern town of Parthia, Myra Henshawe was a legend. The grandniece and ward of Parthia’s richest resident, Myra had shocked the locals by sacrificing her inheritance to run off and marry her true love Oswald. Thirty-odd years later, the still feisty Myra, now enjoying a sophisticated life with Oswald in New York, takes Nellie, the teenage niece of her oldest friend, under her wing. From Myra, Nellie discovers not only the fineness of art and culture, but the mysterious intricacies of friendship and romance as well. (Summary by Amy Dunkleberger)