Jenny's life has been a tragic one. At just eight years of age, both of her parents were killed in a car accident with Jenny being the sole survivor. She spent her childhood growing up at the Covehill Boarding School very much alone. It was while at boarding school that she met her best friend, Macy. But when her grandfather, George McColl, dies, Jenny has no family left at all.

On Thanksgiving, a wounded Irish Setter puppy appears out of nowhere on Jenny's doorstep. She takes in the puppy, naming him Uno, and the two soon become inseparable. Robert Lee Byrne is her dark-eyed, mysterious neighbor who no one in town knows anything about. It is through Uno the two meet.

Jenny and Uno are brutally attacked by a five-hundred-pound black bear, and it is during the several months of physical therapy that Jenny realizes she does indeed have a family all her own.

McColl's Gates: The Covehill Ladies was a pleasure to read. I enjoyed the character of Jenny and admired her strength and personality. Once I began reading, I just couldn't put the book down. I found it to be a very enjoyable read!