Lydia Blood, a young woman from South Bradfield, Massachusetts, lives with her Aunt Maria and her grandfather, Deacon Latham.

Her Aunt Josephine, from her father's side of the family in Venice, Italy, invites her to live with her and pursue her singing career.

On the ship, Lydia meets two men, Mr. James Staniford and Mr. Charles Dunham, who had previously encountered her in Boston.

They are curious about Lydia's reason for traveling to Europe at such a young age and view her with a mix of interest and condescension.

Staniford is intrigued by Lydia and finds her fascinating, seeing her as book smart but lacking common sense due to her sheltered life.

The Lady of the Aroostook is a novel about the passage of innocence to experience for a young girl and also about the breaking of old customs and traditions.

Throughout her journey on the Aroostook and her interactions with Staniford in particular, she begins to fall in love and pass from an innocent young girl to an experience mature woman.