A family of Jewish Hungarian immigrants settle in Chicago in the first half of the 20th century, and rise from poverty to prosperity. Cecil Slaughter's children-- out of equal measures glorified memory and sibling rivalry-- name their daughters after him, with subtle variations: Ceci, Cecilia, Cecily, Celine, Celie, and Celeste. Despite-- or perhaps because of-- this and other familial forces pushing on them, each has a personality and direction of life distinct from her cousins.