A Season at the Cliff Hiuse by Brooke L. Davis

 

1907 two young women with ambition to do something with their lives. Both thwarted by family who have no intention of sending their daughters to college. Both do not have any money of their own and both are not actively looking for a partner though one of them - Grace Hamilton has a secret fiancée who has followed her to San Francisco, and in hindsight Grace realizes he is definitely not marriage material but does not see a way out. 

Isabella wants to be a nurse but finds that her chances grow slimmer by the day. Her mother’s illness, steadily worsening and her sister Josephine’s marital problems leading to a divorce seems to take away all chances of breaking free.

The story is a commentary on society of the time, and the expectations that family wished for. It showed women’s total dependence on their guardians of the time who curtailed any independence by controlling the pursestrings.

Both girls achieved their dreams, one by very drastic methods and one in a more straightforward way.

Sent by BooksGoSocial for an unbiased review, courtesy of Netgalley.