Like many people in turn-of-the-twentieth-century New Orleans, Thomas Henry Oliver came to the city to escape a dull life—in his case, a childhood in the backwoods of the Midwest. But few New Orleans immigrants find as much prosperity as Oliver does amongst the city's lively streets, amassing an enormous fortune built from brothels and speakeasies. By the time he's ninety-five, Oliver has created a dynasty in Storyville, the city's notorious red-light district, but as his wealth grows, so does his family's desire to control it. After a series of strokes, Oliver must choose an inheritor, even though his two entitled daughters and ambitious adopted son don't always seem worthy of his legacy.

His first daughter, an introverted perfectionist, marries a greedy, alcoholic, and adulterous Cajun, and his second daughter fosters a secret desire for her brother-in-law. On his deathbed, Thomas learns that the gold that built the Oliver name now corrupts his legacy and threatens to tear his family apart.

In this simmering dynastic saga by the author of Keepers of the House, three generations collide in their battle to control an empire.