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.