This house party novel takes place during one summer weekend in 1938 at Waterfalls, the beautiful Santa Cruz summer estate of San Francisco high-society millionaires Chester and Lily Moreland. The occasion is the fortieth birthday of their eldest child, Abigail. As family members and guests arrive, we learn who they are, what they want, and what secrets they carry. As the weekend unfolds, characters interact, sometimes gracefully, sometimes grindingly, sometimes painfully. They play games: golf, cards, pool, horseshoes. They drink--a lot--resulting in behavior that brings the birthday party to a shambles. Sex happens in various indiscreet combinations. Family secrets are revealed, causing fights, ending the party, and bringing shame and ruin to the high and mighty.