Young Mrs. Lucy Carleton is the daughter of one of the oldest and wealthiest families in 1880s New York City. William Carleton is Lucys un-pedigreed, nouveau riche husband. Problems arise when Lucy becomes increasingly uncomfortable with the prudish manners and paternalistic dependencies that define the wives of New York society. Lucy longs to break away and give free reign to her more bohemian soul, but her ambitious husband and domineering father are determined that she learn to conform to the mores of her social circle. Enter Dr. Victor Seth, the controversial neurologist whom William hires to try to cure Lucy of her perceived nervous disorder. Seths groundbreaking methods of hypnosis lead Lucy to unforeseen and shocking experiences and set readers on a path through one of the most riveting works of historical fiction in recent memory.