1911 – 1941: After a period of war and plague, sensuous and maternal Mia finds joy with a flamboyant outlaw in a wild and exuberant time until it all comes crashing down on her.

1911 – 1941: After a period of war and plague, sensuous and maternal Mia finds joy with a flamboyant outlaw in a wild and exuberant time until it all comes crashing down on her.
1934 – 1966: A war-weary army nurse in the experimental atmosphere of postwar Paris, Josie bravely breaks a powerful taboo and later has to make a tough call.
1967-1997: A free spirit, Gigi finds intoxicating music and rebellion in Greenwich Village, San Francisco, Paris, Prague, and Woodstock, and then must grow up fast.
1997-2001: Adventurous and impassioned, Mara solves a family mystery and boldly embarks on a pivotal mission but can’t escape her dangerous desires
Personal journeys—from rural America to wartime England and postwar Paris, from midcentury Manhattan to the millennial Pacific Northwest—are rooted in a regional narrative featuring abolitionists, bootleggers, fugitives and ecologists. Woven into this turbulent chronicle is the intriguing story of the secret connection between a resilient family of convention-defying women and a renowned dynasty of academics and activists.