A saga set in the coastal town of Marblehead, Massachussetts, by the New York Times-bestselling author of Katherine and other acclaimed historical novels. Inspired by research into her own family history, novelist Anya Seton created this compelling tale of New England, set in a "sea-girdled town of rocks and winding lanes and clustered old houses." It is not only the story of Marblehead dating back to its earliest settlement, and of a family who stayed there in the Hearth and Eagle Inn; it is also the story of Hesper Honeywood, a passionate young woman whose long and dramatic life, full of triumph and tragedy, was interwoven with the history of both. "Miss Seton handles her clan cleverly. . . . In all this the house itself stands as an eloquent reminder of Yankee staunchness." -Saturday Review of Literature "Skillfully weaves the events of the time . . . an excellent read." -The Historical Novels Review