Tiny Atlantic is no place for 12-year-old Eleanor Hill. She wants more from life than barely scratching out a living from the sea and taking care of people. She is devastated when her favorite schoolteacher, a suffragist, is asked to resign. But soon Aunt Velma invites Eleanor to live with her and Uncle Owen in the nearby town of New Bern. She enjoys living in their beautiful house, helping with their sewing business, attending high school, and meeting young men. When a telegram arrives from San Francisco with news that Eleanor`s brother, Frank, is desperately ill, Eleanor, her aunt, and her best friend board the train heading west. It`s a long but fruitful journey. Rich with period detail and memorable characters, Eleanor Hill is based on the life of the author`s grandmother.