INTRODUCTION

There was a time when the community of Cushing, Quebec was considered the vibrant Heart of the Empire, at least by James and Louisa Watson, who settled there in the late 19th century, soon after their marriage. Their four beautiful daughters eventually completed their family unit, and for a time, the world was a perfect place, especially that part of the world they all inhabited.

This narration is presented as a fictionalized account of the lives of the four Watson sisters, interwoven with that of their parents, their families, and the town of Cushing itself. To retell their stories as a true accounting of events would likely be considered a fabrication. "No, that couldn't possibly have happened." Hence the designation, novel.