Albinia enters her marriage with romantic visions of reforming a neglected family, only to face a wall of apathy and bad habits. Her energetic attempts to fix everything result in a series of social and domestic disasters. Instead of a fairy tale, she finds a gritty reality that requires grit and a complete reevaluation of her approach. This novel offers a refreshing, unidealized glimpse into the hard work of building a family from the ashes of the past.