This is a story of an innocent, vibrant and naive young woman, Lucia, married to a self-centered, intolerant and cruel man twice her age. It's about how reckless it is to enter into a marriage of convenience. After her mother's death, Lucia was brought up by her father, a retired ex-grocer and a wealthy businessman. Her father gets excited when Miranda, a politician, is provoked by a friend to take on a young, financially stable wife and settle on Lucia. Trusting her father, obedient Lucia never questions the wisdom of the match, and moves forward to the journey of a honeymoon. On a deeper level, the story presents her internal journey from an innocent romantic full of life and dreams to a damaged soul hoping to die. One can observe the author's budding interest in French naturalism in the novel. She includes ample descriptions of landscapes and characters with impactful events and dialogue.