An orphaned girl finds a home, then loses herself to a terrible choice. Nan Esterleigh, eleven years old and newly motherless, is taken in by her mother's friend and given everything she could want: comfort, companions, and the chance to begin again. But when a manipulative older girl exploits a moment of Nan's weakness, the girl who once knew her own worth becomes trapped in guilt and shame. The question that haunts this 1901 novel is whether a single act of deceit must define a life, or whether redemption is possible for those brave enough to seek it. L.T. Meade, a prolific writer of girls' fiction, paints a tender portrait of childhood vulnerability and the cruel weight of others' judgments. For readers who cherish stories of moral struggle and quiet heroism, this novel holds a particular resonance.
