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