1918: Timid and shy Emmaline Balakin lives more in books than her own life, until an envelope crosses her desk at the Dead Letter Office, and Emmaline decides to finally embark on an adventure of her own. But when a romance blooms as she secretly participates in a book club for censored books, Emmaline will need to find more courage within herself than she ever thought possible in order to survive. 1976: Kathleen Carre is eager to prove to herself and her nana that she deserves her acceptance into the first coed class at the United States Naval Academy. But not everyone wants female midshipmen at the Academy, and Kathleen is targeted after tragedy strikes close to home. To protect herself, she must learn to trust others even as she discovers a secret that could be her undoing.