Elizabeth Boylston

Elizabeth is a young woman who watches her husband ride away to serve his country in the American Revolutionary War. She finds his body on the battlefield a short time later. Left a widow, she is determined to remain at their farm in Massachusetts despite the fact that she is utterly alone in the world. She is a strong character, determined to live her life as she wants. This includes making the farm a success and serving others as a healer. She is knowledgeable about growing and using medicinal herbs, and she soon has a reputation for a caring, skilled midwife.

Elizabeth's determination is so strong that she works herself into an illness, prompting her friend Abigail Adams to insist that Martha Miller move in to help. Elizabeth becomes close friends with both Abigail and Martha, and her generous attitude prompts her to allow her sister-in-law, Eliza...