Sallie Kincaid is growing up in a small down in Virginia. Her father, the Duke, runs the town. Her mother died when she was three and Sallie has very few memories of her. One day when she was playing with her little brother, he was hurt and her stepmother demanded that the Duke send Sallie away. Nine years later, the Duke sends for Sallie and she has to start to navigate what it means to be the daughter of the most powerful man in the area. As Sallie gets older, she starts to see that her idealized life as the Duke's daughter isn't all that she thought it was and she must start to figure out what kind of person she wants to be. Set in the early twentieth century (post war, Prohibition era), Jeannette Walls once again creates a powerful portrait of womanhood.

I loved this tale of Sallie Kincaid, the narrator of this incredible story. Exiled by her father, Duke, after an accident almost kills her younger brother Eddie. Finally, brought back home after the death of Eddie’s mother. Sallie becomes involved in the running of the Kincaid family business, as well as the county. As Sallie becomes more independent, she scorns the idea of marriage. Sallie has a clear moral compass that guides her actions, but she is foiled when her father dies and her older sister, Mary, inherits the family business. Mary’s sense of morality almost causes a war in the county, and Sallie is forced to follow her own moral path.

Of course, for those of us who relish English history, we quickly realize that this is a story inspired by the life of Elizabeth I of England. Walls is such a wonderful author that readers who don’t get the (wink) connection will still love the novel. Once again, Walls has created a memorable book and transported the reader into a kingdom in Virginia with the magnificent Sallie Kincaid ruling.

I really thank Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review this novel by one of my favorite authors.