The addictive saga of the Morland family continues, now with its many branches spread across the Empire and the New World In 1919, as the euphoria of the Armistice fades, the nation counts the cost: millions dead or disabled, unemployment, strikes, and shortages. As prices and taxes rise, it becomes harder to remember what the war was for. Teddy tries to recreate balance, but then a trip to France to see the place where Ned fell has unforeseen consequences. Polly, grieving for Erich Kuppel, persuades her father to send her to New York—despite Prohibition, the great city, pulsing with life, promises her a fresh start. Jessie and Bertie, detained in London by Bertie's job, long to start their new life together; while Jack becomes a pioneer of civil aviation, but when the company fails he's faced with unemployment, with a growing family to support. The generation that saw things no man should see must find relief from their own memories. A new world is struggling to be born out of the ashes; but as long as the music lasts, they will keep on dancing.