Copper Beech is an picturesque old-money neighborhood in New York, complete with its own country club--and overrun with desperate housewives! The "unbelievable affair" alluded to on the cover is only the focal point for exploring the petty jealousies, adultery, and class-conscious oneupmanship behind the facades of Copper Beech's mansions. Hamilton, the main character, is forced to examine his own role in his wife Willa's betrayal and what went wrong with his previous marriage to free-spirited Louisa. Can he even comprehend how close-minded and unloving he has been all his life, molded that way by parents who substituted pride for love and image for character? It's a scandalous, emotional journey through the callous carousing and quiet despair of people who think they have everything.
