Insightful yet fun, Woolf's story depicts the dance of romance between couples and a young woman's struggle for identity through mind and heart. Katherine Hilbery is torn between past and present ... she has illustrious literary ancestors, including her poet grandfather. She desires to break away from the demands of the previous generation without disowning it altogether. Katherine must decide whether or not she loves the iconoclastic Ralph Denham. Woolf portrays the fascinations of self-discovery through relationships with other people while looking into the intricacies of love--are we aware of love? What is the importance of love in a person's life? Does one need it to be happy?