Elizabeth Elliot, sixty-something clerk of the Friends meeting in Cambridge, Mass, happens to be in the meetinghouse when Janet, a Harvard student who attends meeting occasionally, needs someone to talk to. Janet has been sexually harassed by her advisor and doesn't think she can return to her lab or school. Elizabeth forms a strong bond with Janet and helps her begin dealing with her problem. Then Janet's advisor is murdered in the lab, and Janet, who has filed a formal complaint, is a leading suspect. Convinced of Janet's innocence, Elizabeth helps her by pursuing other angles.

We get an interesting view of Elizabeth's life. She is a widow who has been called to the clerk's position and is clearly a bit of a go-getter. Allen's portrait of upper-middle-class New England Quakers seems pretty accurate from the little I know (I have more exposure to southern Friends, including my wife's family).

The style of the story is irritating in several places and did detract from my enjoyment of the book. The story seems to leave out some critical bits of flow and just get to the next place it needs to be. Recommended only for those interested in an example of portraying Quaker life. ( )