“If it had not rained on a certain May morning, Valancy Stirling’s whole life would have been entirely different. . .” One day, Valancy Stirling, a quiet, shy old maid, decides to stop listening to her nosy, small-minded relatives and start doing exactly as she pleases. Over the next year, Valancy’s choices will transform her life, outrage her family, confuse the entire town of Deerwood—and bring her into close contact with the mischievous, mysterious, violet-eyed Barney Snaith. This is a heartwarming romance with a bold, contemporary message—a life spent appeasing other people is a wasted one—from the beloved author of the Anne of Green Gables series.