Mrs. Lucy Carleton is daughter of one of the oldest and wealthiest families in New York City. William is Lucy's 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 rein 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 and pioneering neurologist whom William hires to try to cure Lucy of her perceived nervous disorder. Seth's groundbreaking methods of hypnosis lead Lucy to unforeseen and shocking experiences that set readers on a path through one of the most riveting works of historical fiction in recent memory.