Spanning the 1870s-1880s in Philadelphia, this tale of three generations of unconventional women deals with changing gender roles and mores, and class distinctions. Emily is the hard-working mother of two young women born to her by a drunkard, money-grubbing husband who left shortly after her second child’s birth. She runs a boarding house, far different from the wealthy life of a noble she was used to until her disgraceful marriage estranged her and her mother Amanda. When her oldest daughter Patricia is seduced, Amanda returns to force Dale to marry her. Meanwhile, Lilly, the second daughter, an independent and strong-willed free-thinker, comes up with a plan to build and run a hotel, which succeeds with Amanda and Emily’s help. Fulfilled except for her lover Andrew’s hand in marriage (he is married to a manic depressive woman and is Catholic, unable to divorce), Lilly gets pregnant and must face society’s unforgiving attitudes while remaining true to herself. Moderately explicit sex - nothing kinky except cunnilingus, using euphemisms for anatomy except “cock,” a rape scene, mild profanity, pre-marital sex, mentions of homosexuality, criticism of the Catholic Church.