Princess Loralyn lives in the large stone Palace with her father, King Bevan, her mother, Queen Avia, and her younger brother, Galen, who will some day be the king. Loralyn desires not only to learn the secret of what a lovely princess is and to understand the task of becoming one, but wishes to visit her very own valley, north beyond the Greenest Hill, which also seems impossible. As time passes, she meets the Simple Ones who fear a Dragon in the forest, the wise River Lady who tries to help, and the princes who come one by one to win the hand in marriage of the lovely princess-a fairy tale.

The sequel to On a Clear Day, which continues the enchanting story of Clare Richardson; Clare, now aged 20 and blossoming into a beautiful young woman, is looking forward to her final year at university, and to the return of her childhood sweetheart Andrew to Ulster. After a happy summer together they become engaged, and the future looks bright. But when Clare and Andrew's romance ends in disappointment and shattered dreams, she determines to make a new life on her own. Following in the footsteps of so many of her fellow countrymen, she takes the Liverpool boat and from there goes to Paris. Life 'beyond the green hills' is exciting and stimulating, but it brings with it the realization that she will only ever be at home in her beloved Ireland.