Emily Dickinson's life is re-imagined in her own voice and through eyes of a young Irish maid. Ada Concannon's first day in America is a success. She's the new maid for the respected but eccentric Dickinson family of Amherst, Massachusetts. Despite the differences in age and class, 18-year-old Ada, "a neat little Irish person, fresh off the boat," strikes up a deep friendship with Miss Emily, the gifted elder daughter living a spinster's life at home. Emily is a bastion of support as Ada struggles to find her place in this new world, while Ada's toil gives Emily the freedom she needs to write.