Nineteen year old Katherine Sligh moves to Montana's capitol city in 1894 when her father runs for and gets elected to the state senate. Invited into the cream of society with all its parties, Katherine discovers her best friend, Lilly, is the sixteen year old daughter of Judge Cullen. Lilly loves attending Helena's girls academy and hasn't time for most social events, but book learning has not dulled her acute sense of the world around her. In Lilly, Katherine finds an incredible friend who supports her growing love for Tom Marlow, a man of extraordinary business sense, but not a son of Helena's elite. When adversity strikes their unique friendship, their bond is strengthened, and prepares Katherine for a the inevitable. This is a story of friendship, love, and tragedy. The people and events are real.