Acceptable Substitutes

In 1920, the three Crenshaw children are orphaned.

Brenda despairs over her separation from her brothers.  Eventually, she finds solace with her neighbor, Nicholas.

Reginald quickly accepts his new life on a farm.  After a failed marriage, during World War II, he finds the woman who fills his life with meaning.

Mathew grieves most severely.  He settles into the life of a poet in .  He finds the love he longed for.  Her demise sinks him into deep despair.  When he returns to , he is rescued by a new love.

The trials of separation, war, and lost loved ones trigger the human instinct to recover in the Crenshaws.  They find acceptable substitutes.