Maggie Browne, the daughter of a deceased clergyman, is encouraged to give up her own life and passions and devote herself to her brother Edward. Through the example and guidance of her mother, who dotes on Edward constantly, a young woman learns that self-sacrifice is the key to living a fulfilled life. How much personal happiness can one forgo in the name of duty and devotion to another? A complicated and touching story of familial bonds and the search for happiness by the talented contemporary of Charlotte Bronte.