In A Lady of Distinction, we are introduced to Kerry Thomas, a spirited young woman from a Quaker family in 1877. Frustrated by the prevailing belief that men are intellectually superior, Kerry resolves to prove otherwise. Her determination is sparked during a lecture where she learns that a man's brain weighs more than a woman's, leading her to pen a passionate entry in her diary. Kerry's desire for education clashes with her family's traditional views, particularly her father's, who believes that a woman's place is in the home.