1813 - Pittenweem, Fife, Scotland Effie Innes has known little kindness in her life. Illegitimate and poor, she struggles to provide for her cantankerous grandmother while avoiding the cruel prejudices of village folk. Davy Mackie and his family are some of her only friends, and Effie fiercely cherishes her friendship with them.Effie reaches for a better life, teaching herself to read and write. Eventually, her skills lead to a job as a scribe to an aging professor. Through the professor, she meets Lieutenant Calum Moncrithe, a naval physician, who is in Scotland for a short time before joining his ship to fight in the new war with the United States. Despite being far above her social station, Effie and Calum forge a strong friendship. But Effie's persecution and the pressures of the war increase, leading to disaster. Worse, the secrets of Effie's past unravel, leaving her unsure of where she fits in. Does she stay with the professor and those of his class, or does she belong with the fishing folk and Davy's family? Trapped between worlds and competing affections from Davy and Calum, will Effie have the courage to reach out for what she wants? Or will war make the decision for her?This coming-of-age story meticulously captures village life and social strata in coastal Lowland Scotland during the Napoleonic Wars.