by B. J. Chute
First published 1976
Gideon Briggs carries the weight of his family's ancient curse. The curse demands that Briggs men must wander, never settling down, never taking wives. Gideon accepts this fate and swears he will never marry. Then he meets Dorrie, an orphan girl in the village of Greenwillow. Love grows between them despite Gideon's resistance. Dorrie sees past his fears and the shadow that hangs over his family name. Gideon must choose between honoring the curse that has shaped generations of Briggs men or breaking free to claim the love that could transform his life. This fable explores the pull between duty and desire, between the weight of the past and the promise of the future. At its heart lies the question of whether love can overcome the forces that seek to keep two people apart.
Genres: romance, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, fantasy
Vibes: intimate, lyrical, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Greenwillow
Period: 19th-century, 20th-century
Hardcover · E P Dutton