"I adored stepping into to the world of the Prines through
tough-as-rawhide Mary Pearl. Light Changes Everything is a novel as
gritty and authentic as the women of the Arizona Territory. Nancy E.
Turner brings the west and its people fully to life." -Lisa Wingate,
#1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
Bestselling author Nancy E. Turner returns to the world of Sarah Agnes
Prine through the wide-eyes of her irrepressible young niece, Mary
Pearl.
It's the summer of 1907 and the sun is scorching down on Mary Pearl in
the Arizona Territory. Mary Pearl and her sister Esther take their minds
off the heat by sneaking banned Jane Austen novels from Aunt Sarah
Elliot's lively bookshelf. Whispered read alouds preoccupy their nights,
and reveries of getting hitched to their own Mr. Darcy à la Pride and
Prejudice swirl through their daydreams.
In walks old-fashioned and old-money suitor Aubrey Hanna, here to whisk
seventeen year old Mary Pearl off her feet with a forbidden kiss and a
hasty engagement. With the promise of high society outings and a rich
estate, Aubrey's lustful courtship quickly creates petty tension among
the three generations of Prine women.
As autumn approaches all too quickly, Mary Pearl's Wheaton College
acceptance hinders quick marriage preparations. Days of travel by horse
and by train carry her deep into a sophisticated new world of Northern
girls' schooling. Looking for friendship but finding foes, Mary Pearl
not only learns how to write, read, and draw, but also how to act,
dress, and be a woman.
Light Changes Everything is the story of a resilient young feminist a
century ahead of her time. Full of gumption and spirit, Mary Pearl's
evocative coming of age tale is destined to be the next American
classic.
