'Regina Porter's sprawling, sparkling debut novel... is an exhilarating ride. Porter is a wickedly astute chronicler of human foibles.' Guardian

As America recovers from the Second World War, two families' journeys begin.

James Vincent, born in 1942 to an Irish-American family, escapes his parents' turbulent marriage and attends law school in New York, where he moves up the social ladder as a prosperous and bright attorney.
Meanwhile, Agnes Miller, a beautiful black woman ...