This novel is about several members of the Kent family but primarily the sons of Jephtha Kent who has died.
The most lawless of the clan seems to be Jeremiah Kent.
He is the former soldier and buffalo hunter who becomes a gun toting outlaw in the untamed west.
He lives in a lawless society.
He is a fugitive from justice and a gambler.
His siblings think he is dead.
Louis Kent has also died and his widow, Julia has become an activist for women's suffrage rights.
She goes on speaking tours throughout the west and she become quite good at it.
Gideon Kent met her at the funeral of her husband.
They hit it off and soon there was a new romance in development.
Gideon's wife, Margaret who had been going down hill mentally for several years now, turns Gideon out at this point.
Margaret Kent doesn't have much to do with her children.
She stays in her bedroom most days and has a drinking problem.
Their daughter Eleanor looks out for herself and her brother.
They don't see much of the father either.
This seems strange that Gideon and his children aren't close.
He spends more and more time with Julia Sedgwick.
They are in Chicago during the Great Chicago Fire and their affair begins to heat up too.
He is involved with his union activities and Julia with suffrage so they also have a lot in common.
Gideon hasn't had much to do with his wife since she got sick.
He goes overboard with his labor activities and sets his sites on the observation of the private life of a railroad tycoon by the name of Courtleigh.
Gideon even goes to his home where he and his wife are hosting a party for friends.
He causes a scene there and is then thrown out.
Matthew Kent lives in Paris where he is an artist in the Parisian bohemian culture.
He rubs elbows with some of the important artists and authors of the day.
He has a wife named Dolly who mysteriously has just left him for no apparent reason.
Gideon had talked his brother into coming home to the United States to help him with a project.
It didn't last too long as Matthew was missing his fun life back in France.
Eleanor always liked her uncle and he would spend some quality time with her, his niece.
She was always interested in knowing about his friends who were in the arts because she was very interested in the theater for her future involvement.
Though Eleanor has a lot of stress around her mom and dad, she had a secret desire to enter the theater to become a performer.
She had joined a group of amateur player's downtown almost every week.
She and a friend met there at a local playhouse and she believes she has some talent.
At least, that is what she has been told.
She goes secretly with her friend and doesn't dare tell her parent about it, especially her mother.
She knew her mother would be furious.
Eleanor is growing up to be a good person with not much help from her family.
Gideon Kent's life takes up most of this novel.
His wife's mental condition and his affair with Julia take up the bulk of the story.
His labor activities do add color to the story line.
Eleanor shows us that there is some hope for this family.
She is a budding actress with a future to look forward to.