In the late eighteen hundreds when Shirks grandmother was a young person, women’s choices were limited. Frances “knew” she was meant to be a nurse, but, being young and unmarried, society said “no”. Her friend Sally, granddaughter of slaves, “knew” she could be a great teacher, but there was little chance for her to get training. Reading this book in a group and then having a discussion about it takes courage. It’s not easy to talk about race and gender issues.