All of her life, Valancy Stirling has lived a stiffled life with of her overbearing mother and nosy aunt. At the age of 29, she had all but given up on her dreams of love and romance. As love follows no stereotypes or calculations, a tiny crack appeared in her shell and her dreams began to shine through. Like most romantics of her day, Valancy found solice and happiness within pages of books. She cultivated her intellectual interests of nature by reading the forbidden texts of John Foster. While spending all of her days living in an unintersting little house on a quiet little street, she dreams of spending wonderful moments in her "Blue Castle." She yearns to replace her redundant and monotonous life with a more satisfying existance. Suddenly one morning she receives a doomed letter from Doctor Trent. All of a sudden, she has nothing left to lose and decides to go against her smothering mother and aunt while vowing she will live her own life. She leaves her snobbish home to care for an unconventional family which is not proper for a woman of her stature. Caring for Roaring Abel and his dying daughter, Cissy, has given purpose to Valancy's life, and this act alone sends her family into a panic.
Her next surprise sent her family reeling. Valancy chose to marry Bernie, a shady recluse, whom only she tried to understand. This act is the final straw and her family disowns their crazy relative. By cutting the ties, Valancy is finally given her freedom. This "crazy" woman may seem to be a lost cause, but as we all know, looks can be deceiving. Is it possible that an reclusive hermit can hold the key to her dreams?

Montgomery, L.M. The Blue Castle. New York: Bantham Books, 1989.

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