Dorothy Canfield Fisher

The story of Sylvia,a young girl raised by her parents to think for herself and participate in the world of adults. As she grows up she feels conflict between her life with her parents and the town and university life that they do not conform to. When she encounters her Aunt Victoria and is drawn towards her luxurious world she further grapples with the desire for wealth and luxury and the concern for social inequity.

Trapped by her family's aspirations and by the expectations of a consumer society, a young woman struggles to find meaning in her life.