The Sisters-In-Law: A Novel of Our Time

Alexina is a bright‑eyed nineteen‑year‑old caught between the fading grandeur of San Francisco’s old‑world aristocracy and the restless energy of a city racing toward modernity. When she slips out after midnight to a glittering soirée hosted by the nouveau riche, the night’s music and unexpected abundance of flowers awaken a longing for something beyond the stifling rituals of her mother’s Victorian household. The streets that wind up the city’s famed hills become a backdrop for her first taste of independence, even as she clings to the friendship that steadies her through the night’s dizzying whirl.

Behind the sparkle, the novel sketches a world where entrenched families—embodied by the imperious Mrs. Groome—rigidly guard tradition against the tide of change. As Alexina navigates dinner dances, whispered admonitions, and the pull of her own adventurous spirit, she must decide whether to honor the expectations of her lineage or step into the uncertain promise of a new social order. The story captures the tension of a turning era, inviting listeners to feel the pulse of a city and a generation on the brink of transformation.