This really is an old-fashioned, romantic 'wish fulfillment' type of tale, and you have to just appreciate it for what it is. And eventually (I won't spoil the story by going into the hows and whys) she finds a home in a cottage by the lake that reminds her of her beloved Blue Castle. It's lovely to see her bloom and gain confidence, and begin to seek out happiness and love on her own terms. With nothing to lose, she starts sassing her ice-cold mother and relatives, begins wearing 'unsuitable' clothing, moves out of the family home, and generally starts doing what she wants to without a thought for propriety.

Oddly enough, this death sentence frees Valancy from her miserable existence. The letter she gets a day or two later from the doctor informs her that she has a severe heart condition, and less than a year to live. The doctor examines her, but rushes off in an emergency before he can give her a diagnosis. One day Valancy, without telling her family, sneaks off to the doctor to find out why her heart has been bothering her. Her only solace is the imaginary Blue Castle she lives in when she daydreams, and the poetic nature books of John Foster, which speak to her heart. She does what everyone asks even when she hates it, quails before her insolent relatives, never talks back (except in her own mind), cries herself to sleep on a regular basis, and overall lives a thoroughly miserable life. Written in 1926 by the author of the beloved Anne of Green Gables series, this is the story of Valancy, a 29 year old timid mouse of a person, considered an old maid by her family and the town generally. If you think your relatives argue too much over Sunday dinner or are just impossible to live with

The Blue Castle by L.M. Montgomery