A grand novel about two young women caught between immense wealth and bitter poverty, between love and betrayal, between fate and self-determination. New York on the brink of the 20th century: Faith Celeste Simpson, daughter of a financial genius, is poised for a golden life. Yet, one thing is missing for the young heiress in her castle-like estate on the outskirts of New York: her parents' love. Just fifty kilometers away, in the misery of Lower Manhattan, Hope Lee comes into the world. She learns early on to fight for herself. After a devastating stroke of fate, she unexpectedly finds herself in Faith's privileged world. The fact that Faith's father chooses Hope as his protégé, and that both she and Faith fall in love with the same man, threatens their unusual friendship. In the shadow of World War I and an impending stock market crash, the two young women must confront their challenges.