In the early s Corey Sifter the son of working-class parents becomes a yard boy on the grand estate of the powerful Metarey family Soon through the familys generosity he is a student at a private boarding school and an aide to the great New York senator Henry Bonwiller who is running for president Before long Corey finds himself involved with one of the Metarey daughters as well and he begins to leave behind the world of his upbringing As the Bonwiller campaign gains momentum Corey finds himself caught up in a complex web of events in which loyalty politics sex and gratitude conflict with morality love and the truth Ethan Canins stunning novel is about America as it was and is a remarkable exploration of how vanity greatness and tragedy combine to change history and fate.
