Meet Ivory Bright (like the soap product she admits) a self-proclaimed original who wanders into a marriage of convenince if not one exactly of love and finds happiness in an unlikely setting with an highly unlikely husband.

The story of this young woman in pursuit and capture of Mr. Right is so touchingly told and beautifully detailed it takes several readings to get all of the nuances of Ms. Ford's writing.

The deposed housekeeper, former lady friend and the only spoken of late mother-in-law are just a few of the supporting characters who add the color to this endearing cast.

An economically written work that speaks eloquently to men and women on matters all of us confront.

This understated, beautifully written novel ranges over three decades in the life of Meg Mowbry. Elaine Ford covers a great deal of complex emotional territory -- how people change, or fail to change, over time; how long-ago actions and events continue to shape our lives; how we understand many of our own choices only in retrospect. But what's most amazing about Ford as a writer is how economically she accomplishes all this, and how skillful she is not just about which details to highlight, but which to leave out. After I finished the book I found myself missing Meg -- and even more, I missed the sound of Elaine Ford's quiet voice, making sense of life.