As a young man, Ethan Frome wanted to become an engineer. He left home, attended a technological college in Worcester, Massachusetts, and spent time in Florida actually working on a small engineering job. His dream was to settle in a metropolitan area where he could take advantage of the opportunities city life offered. Unfortunately, Ethan's studies (as well as his dreams) come to an abrupt halt when his father died and his mother became ill soon afterwards. He returned to Starkfield, Massachusetts to care for his mother and to run the family farm and sawmill. Realizing that he couldn't do everything by himself, he made arrangements for his cousin Zenobia (Zeena) Pierce to live with them. Zeena took over the care of Ethan's mother as well as the household duties. After his mother's death, Ethan couldn't imagine being alone again on the farm, so he married Zeena.
In an attempt to reclaim his dreams and move to a metropolitan area, Ethan tried to sell the farm, but his efforts were unsuccessful. After a year of marriage, Zeena became well known to the people in Starkfield for her "sickliness." She suffered from a myriad of illnesses and her disposition became irritable and disagreeable. Ethan's dreams were doomed.
As the main story begins, Mattie Silver, a cousin of Zeena's whose parents' deaths left her destitute, has been a part of the Frome household for a year. Although Mattie is grateful to have a roof over her head and work as an aide to her cousin, she is, however, quite forgetful and often spends time dreaming rather than working. As a result, Ethan, who has secretly fallen in love with Mattie, completes many of her chores.
