Diane C. McPhail Libri

On a Mississippi morning in 1859, Emily Matthews begs her father to save a slave, Nathan, about to be auctioned away from his family. Judge Matthews is an abolitionist who runs an illegal school for his slaves, hoping to eventually set them free. One, a woman named Ginny, has become Emily's companion and often her conscience - and understands all too well the hazards an educated slave must face. Yet even Ginny could not predict the tangled, tragic string of events set in motion as Nathan's family arrives at the Matthews farm. A young doctor, Charles Slate, tends to injured Nathan and begins to court Emily, finally persuading her to become his wife. But their union is disrupted by a fatal clash and a lie that will tear two families apart. As Civil War erupts, Emily, Ginny, and Emily's stoic mother-in-law, Adeline, each face devastating losses. Emily - sheltered all her life - is especially unprepared for the hardships to come. Struggling to survive in this raw, shifting new world, Emily will discover untapped inner strength, an unlikely love, and the courage to confront deep, painful truths

In 1900, as women strive for equality amidst lingering societal restrictions, Alice Butterworth faces a personal crisis when her husband disappears. Determined to support herself and her unborn child, she leaves the harsh winter of Chicago for New Orleans, where she offers sewing lessons at an orphanage. There, she meets Constance Halstead, a young widow grappling with her late husband's gambling debts, who immerses herself in charitable work. Constance invites Alice to stay with her in exchange for help in creating a gown for the Leap Year ball of Les Mysterieuses, the first all-female krewe of Mardi Gras. Leap Years grant women a rare chance to assert control over social interactions, and the gown becomes a powerful symbol of their burgeoning independence. However, Constance is burdened by the mystery surrounding her husband Benton’s death, which is tied to the dangerous Black Hand gang of New Orleans' Storyville district. His demise has not quelled their threats. As Mardi Gras approaches, a secret surfaces that will deepen the bond between Alice and Constance while endangering the new lives they are striving to build.