This is the third book in a series of 4 about the Lafette family. The central charactor is Dan Lafette a lager than life personality who finds success, failure and doom in personal finance and the relationships closest to him. As many of Fast books the historic landscape the charactors past through appears accurate. Who blossoms from the text is Barbra Laffette, Dan youngest a woman of integrity. There is a later book that focuses on her. Rich charactors, interactions reflecting the yin/yang of human nature I've read the series twice and will again. Series begins w The Immigrants, continues w Second generation.