This bittersweet tragicomedy centres on an odd triangle of characters:
Basil Ransom, a political conservative from Mississippi; Olive
Chancellor, Ransom's cousin and a Boston feminist; and Verena Tarrant, a
pretty, young protégée of Olive's in the feminist movement. The
storyline concerns the struggle between Ransom and Olive for Verena's
allegiance and affection, though the novel also includes a wide panorama
of political activists, newspaper people, and quirky eccentrics. This
brilliant satire of the women's rights movement in America is the story
of the ravishing inspirational speaker Verena Tarrant and the bitter
struggle between two distant cousins who seek to control her. Will the
privileged Boston feminist Olive Chancellor succeed in turning her
beloved ward into a celebrated activist and lifetime companion? Or will
Basil Ransom, a conservative southern lawyer, steal Verena's heart and
remove her from the limelight?