An endearing, unlikely friendship set against the backdrop of a beautiful Maine coastal town provides the setting for what is considered to be Sarah Orne Jewett's finest work. Loosely structured, the narrative is unified through both setting and theme and can be read as a study of the effects of isolation and the hardships encountered in the face of decaying industry. The moving prose invites the reader into an intimate portrait of a New England town and its characterful inhabitants whose prickly exteriors often conceal a warm and loyal nature.