Pearl and Ginevra grow up in the era known as the Gilded Age in Newport,
Rhode Island. One lives above the stairs, the other below.
Surrounded by Astors and Vanderbilts, Pearl fills her days with teatime
and shallow friendships, yearning for something more. A chance meeting
with Mary Cassatt sparks her secret desire to be an artist. Meanwhile
Ginevra, fresh off the boat from Italy, finds her own dreams out of
reach as she joins the unwelcoming household as a servant and
seamstress.
Kindred souls, the girls become fast friends but must keep their
friendship hidden from Pearl's controlling mother. Every summer, they
meet in a hidden spot beneath the weeping beeches to talk of art and
life, and their struggles to break the barriers of their lives.
Soon, the two young women must decide who they want to be in this world,
and survive what it takes to get there... no matter what it takes.
This is the large print edition of Gilded Summers, with a larger font /
typeface for easier reading.