I was a bit reluctant at the beginning; Benjamin was sort of a jerk- harsh in his speech and thoughts when it came to Maggie, and always thinking the worst of her. He gave lip services to the fact that she was a lady, but treated her with a decided lack of respect in my opinion. 
 As for Maggie herself, my first impression was that she was kind of a doormat. While she was presented as assured, confident, and independent, her actions/inaction belied those claims. 
 After continued reading, however, I really warmed to the characters and the multiple layers that they possessed- they tried be the person that their family needed, they strove to fulfill the role that society demanded, and they still tried to remain true to themselves. 
 This story, and the two main characters who were so full of honor and hope, has actually become one of my favorite Burrowes' tales.