Award-winning author Nevada Barr reveals another side to her remarkable storytelling prowess with this heart-wrenching yet tender tale of two women whose boundless devotion to each other is continually challenged in nineteenth century America. The main plot of Bittersweet is the struggles of two very different American women in the 19th century. It shows the struggles they and all other women faced at this time when the West was a new frontier. The story starts in Philadelphia and slowly works its way out west, past Reno, Nevada. Ultimately the two women struggle to find a place they can live in peace. Imogene is the older, giant of a woman, who is a school teacher. She is being forced out of town because her relationship with one of her female students was discovered. With the help of her old school master, she finds a placement further out west in a mining town. As quietly as possible, she tries to settle in and keep to herself, and hide out from the brother of her former lover who will take any opportunity to ruin her life. In the new town is a young girl, Sarah, who is immediately drawn to Imogene. But Sarah has obligations to her family. Soon after Sarah graduates, she finds that instead of furthering her education, she is to marry a friend of the family (a man who does not believe women have any need to be educated). While the marriage is not happy, and causes a stronger bond between the two women, Sarah is thrilled to have a son. However, the happiness cannot last (remember the title of the book?). The brother from Imogene’s former lover sends a letter informing the town why she had to leave her previous post. Just when people start to believe Imogene’s side of the story, an angry former pupil lies and claims that Sarah and Imogene had committed the same acts. Knowing there will be no way to salvage the situation, Imogene packs the despondent Sarah up and they flee out west. The story continues to follow them as Sarah slowly recovers and starts to become aware of her own feelings. Imogene must continue to look out for the woman she loves. They find brief periods of happiness, but must always be aware that one slip up means that they will have to flee even further.