People like to tell you that you are what you make of yourself. And we know this to be true. But sometimes, especially on a continent where independence, devil-may-care attitudes, and the self-made man reign supreme, we forget that people are also what you make of them. This is true whether it’s 2012, or 1817. Alexander Murray learns this lesson. And I got a good knock on the head.

There are words for women like Daphne Farnham. Bimbo. Ditz. Airhead. Dumb blonde. And although none of these words (except perhaps the last) existed in 1817, that’s exactly how Dr. Murray sees her. Sure, she’s beautiful. Sure, she has lovely curvy hips and an even lovelier curvy bosom. But after two weeks aboard the Magpie en route to England, he is certain that Daphne Farnham is “the living, breathing example of a brainless existence.” She calls her bichon frisé Pompom. She worries about her bonnet’s trimmings. She is the most singularly useless person he has ever encountered. And to a Scottish bastard who worked his way up, Alexander Murray prizes usefulness very highly.

Very little of Alex’s opinion, or the reader’s, will change over the next few chapters. Daphne clearly has feelings and is more perceptive of human emotions and social graces than we may have suspected. But all she talks about is clothing. She hasn’t a practical bone in her body. She doesn’t know any words longer than three syllables. She is who she appears to be – a lovely, but superficial, simple girl.

But then two things happen. Daphne’s chaperone dies, and the captain puts Alex (an old grumpy-wumpy, in Daphne’s words) in charge of Daphne. And then Daphne and Alex are shipwrecked, the sole survivors of a hurricane. And oh my goodness, the transformations that occur are breathtaking.

You see, Daphne sure is blonde. And she definitely has a touch of the ditz and airhead in her. But that’s who society made her to be, more so than the scores of rebellious Regency hoydens who want to Find Themselves. Daphne has never had a chance to learn big words, like osculation and gravitas. She certainly does not own practical clothes, much less know how to dress and undress herself, and braid her own hair. People have taken care of her for her whole life, from her wealthy father to the man she eloped with to Jamaica, to her begrudging chaperone after her husband died. Daphne does not know that she could be useful, beyond knowing which bonnet to pair with which dress, and she would have been happy with George. But Alexander forces her to be useful. Alexander teaches her new words and how to fish. Alexander also listens to her. In short, Alexander respects her. And Daphne is a woman who craves respect, even if she never overtly sought it.

In return, Daphne gives Alexander a renewed love of life. Dr. Murray has not had much opportunity to be carefree, but he would like to settle down, marry, and have companionship, warmth and children for the rest of his days. He doesn’t imagine a naïve woman who looks for shapes in clouds and can’t do a bloody thing with her hands, but yet is so open-minded and child-like in her simple appreciation of life. He can’t stand it, quite frankly, mostly because he knows there is no future for a surgeon-not-even-physician and an heiress. But she is exactly what he needs.

I think Daphne and Alexander will do very together. She will always need him to keep her grounded; he will always need her to enjoy life to the maximum. And people will see this couple, a gruff, weathered-looking man with prematurely greying hair, and a smiling, nubile, blue-eyed blonde. They might assume he married her for her money, her body, her looks, or all three. And they may ask what she sees in him when she could have had wealth and beauty at her side. But I don’t think Daphne and Alexander will care. After all, they have each other.

If it sounds like I’m talking about living, breathing people, then I’ve done my job. That I can envision Daphne and Alexander years into the future, with conversations and arguments, hurts and laughter, is the highest praise I can give. Ms. Marshall’s previous book was very good; Castaway Dreams is remarkable.