A Virtuous Woman is the second novel from award-winning author Kaye Gibbons. Ruby Stokes is a woman who was raised in the safety of a loving family, who learns that the world has a dark side when she impetuously marries the first man to ask.
A chapter by chapter analysis and in-depth plot summary can be found: http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-a-virtuous-woman/