This bittersweet tragicomedy centres on an odd triangle of characters: Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive Chancellor, Ransom"s cousin and a Boston feminist; and Verena Tarrant, a pretty, young protégée of Olive"s in the feminist movement. The storyline concerns the struggle between Ransom and Olive for Verena"s allegiance and affection, though the novel also includes a wide panorama of political activists, newspaper people, and quirky eccentrics.
