The S. W. F. Club

When Hilary Almy Shaw's health begins to fail, her older sister Pauline makes a decision that defies their parents' wishes. In a bold act of love and desperation, Pauline writes to her estranged Uncle Paul, hoping he might offer the help her family has refused to seek. The girls' parents harbor reservations about invoking their uncle's assistance, but Pauline cannot watch her sister's spirit wither alongside her health. As summer settles over the household, Pauline waits for a response that could change everything, while navigating the delicate dynamics among her sisters and her parents. The novel captures a young girl's imaginative determination and her willingness to risk rejection for the sake of someone she loves. Set against the backdrop of a hopeful summer at home, this early 20th-century story explores the courage it takes to bridge family divisions and the wayward faith that a single letter might mend what's broken.