Marcia Schuyler

On a bright summer morning, seventeen-year-old Marcia Schuyler feels the ache of being overlooked as her family pours all excitement into sister Kate's approaching wedding. Quiet, hardworking, and self-reliant, Marcia longs not for grandeur but for a simple pink-and-white dress of her own, and she resolves to earn it by picking blackberries. That small act of independence leads her into village gossip, secret sewing, and a private triumph as she transforms herself with homemade chintz, a cherished miniature of her mother, and a new way of arranging her hair. As Kate's fairy-tale marriage to the good, wealthy David Spafford draws nearer, Marcia's admiration mingles with a growing sense of womanhood and longing. Her handmade dress wins unexpected praise, but the household is soon unsettled by Kate's troubled mood and the pressures surrounding the wedding. Under moonlight and stars, Marcia begins to imagine love, independence, and a future of her own. A painful encounter with Harry Temple finally pushes her into a deeply personal conversation with David, whose protective tenderness marks a turning point in their relationship. This edition has been fully restored with modern typesetting, custom cover design.