A powerful novel about the so-called upper class of Portugal during the time of the dictator Salazar. The better families of Portugal reside in Cascais, a seaside resort located west of Lisbon, particularly in Quinta da Marinha, where one can hear the Atlantic Ocean and see the dunes behind the pines. This is where social life unfolds, where people live in grand villas. There is the "Senhor Doutor," a wealthy businessman and confidant of the dictator Salazar, who has fought his way up from humble beginnings with harshness and a lack of compassion. His wife lives reclusively on the top floor, while the daughter of the house, referred to as "Senhora," was conceived by the butler and spends her days petting her little dog and reading books brought to her by a local bookseller. And then there is a young Fado singer.