The Blue Castle - L. M. Montgomery

If it had not rained on a certain May morning, Valancy Stirling's whole life would have been entirely different. . . One day, Valancy Stirling, a quiet, shy old maid, decides to stop listening to her nosy, small-minded relatives and start doing exactly as she pleases. Over the next year, Valancy's choices will transform her life, outrage her family, confuse the entire town of Deerwood--and bring her into close contact with the mischievous, mysterious, violet-eyed Barney Snaith. This is a heartwarming romance with a bold, contemporary message--a life spent appeasing other people is a wasted one--from the beloved author of the Anne of Green Gables series.