The book is a biography of a 19th-century photographer, exploring mid-Victorian consciousness through a woman's perspective. It examines various influences, including Romantic poetry, art, the Oxford movement, pre-Raphaelite art, and Sacred Art, highlighting how they shaped the photographer's work. By intertwining historical and artistic contexts, the author offers a comprehensive view of the cultural and social elements that informed the photographer's vision and output, emphasizing both the personal and broader societal narratives of the Victorian era. The discussion provides insight into the creative process and contributions of women in the scholarly and artistic realms of that period.