1860 - In a small town on Lake Ontario, at a time when an affluent young girl is forbidden to have any ambition of her own, Sarah defies her social-climbing mother to marry Joe, the Scottish farmer she loves, convinced he is the only man willing to help her succeed. Twelve years later, she is a mother of five boys, pregnant again, and trapped by Joe's failure when she discovers a shocking deception. Before learning the truth, tragedy strikes. Defying her mother once again, Sarah struggles to survive in a life controlled by the men around her. With secrets haunting her, she must eventually decide how far she will go to get what she wantsfor her childrenand for herself. The Last Secret reveals the dark underbelly of a genteel Victorian town and explores the insidious power of secrets.