In 1825 New York, marriage and family are a common desire of most women. But for Liz, whose family is very dependent on her, she knows romance may be as fleeting as a summer dream.

But that's before Stephen Ames arrives in town to become the new pastor. From the moment she first sees Stephen, Liz feels emotions she has never experienced before. Frantically, she strives to hide her growing attraction for Stephen, convinced it can only bring heartache.

Then disaster strikes her small community, and Liz discovers qualities in herself that she never imagined existed. Will her life continue along the road she has always followed, or is Liz about to discover that a summer dream can become reality?