A Happenstance in Harrisville

Following her parents’ tragic deaths in 1951, Constance leaves college in Georgia and moves to New England. In love with the words of Thoreau, Walden, and Alcott, she thinks a fresh start in the Northeast will breathe new life into her grief-stricken heart. On her way to Keene State University in Keene, New Hampshire, a haunting experience in a vintage dress shop during a stopover in New York sets Constance’s life on an unexpected course. Her occult practicing aunt Delphine’s cautionary words run through her head as she touches the vintage fabric: “You have lived another life and you will eventually discover your gift.” Her Trailways bus stopped in Brattleboro, Vermont, when Constance walks into a clothing time warp as every woman wears dresses from the 1850s for a “Good Old Days” celebration. Suddenly transported to a time that felt déjà vu comfortable, Constance dreamily returns to the bus. Arriving in Keene, she walks the quaint streets, falling in love with the New England college town. Her sad, “accidental” inheritance provides ample cash to purchase a new car and a Victorian house within days. Enrolling part-time to study American literature, Constance feels drawn to open a mid-19th century dress shop. Edith Harris, the richest woman in the county, donates a family collection of dresses from the 1850s and, from that moment, Constance’s life, her purpose, her very sense of self changes forever…

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