The novel spans the years from early Mormonism in nineteenth-century Nauvoo, Illinois, to the 1960s, chronicling changes in moral values. Louisa, a fictional plural wife of Joseph Smith, matures through the hardships of the founding years and treks to Utah.
Chris, Louisas great-granddaughter, caught up in the turmoil of the 1960s, researches her ancestry in New York. She rejects Mormonism, enters a polygamous marriage, and contends with opposition and murder.
The novel explores the hostility against Mormons, and their conflicted mixture of piety and lust. In its chronological and geographical sweep, the plot moves from coast to coast.
The Vander Heides have extensive firsthand experience with their subject matter. Ralph, a former Mormon, holds a PhD in Germanic and Hispanic studies and has taught in colleges and high schools. He studied writing under Brewster Ghiselin at the University of Utah.
Judy earned both BA and MA degrees. She studied writing with Wallace Stegner at Stanford University. Judy has worked as a history and English teacher in high schools and as a guidance counselor. The couple has lived in the regions covered in the novel, and they are now both retired.
Judy plays tennis. Ralph skis and runs. Together they travel and do volunteer work in the arts and humanities, but advise against spouses jointly writing a novel. They continue to consult each other but write separately.
