Her uniqueness lies in the fact that she is practicing (or trying to) during the 19th century in a society that maintains the belief that young women should have finding a husband and raising a family as their primary goal. Shirley Tallman's Scandal on Rincon Hill describes Sarah's unconventional approach to society and her active involvement with solving murders and championing the underdog. Several aspects of Victorian society are highlighted, including the radical ideas of Charles Darwin whose theories about natural selection cause an uproar with various theologians and their followers.