This novel follows the lives of four young women in early 20th century California. The story explores themes of class, race, and gender and is noted for its sympathetic portrayal of Native American characters. Gertrude Atherton was a prolific writer and a prominent figure in San Francisco literary circles. Her work provides a window into the society and culture of turn-of-the-century America. This work has been selected by scholars as being culturally important, and is part of the knowledge base of civilization as we know it. This work is in the "public domain in the United States of America, and possibly other nations. Within the United States, you may freely copy and distribute this work, as no entity (individual or corporate) has a copyright on the body of the work. Scholars believe, and we concur, that this work is important enough to be preserved, reproduced, and made generally available to the public. We appreciate your support of the preservation process, and thank you for being an important part of keeping this knowledge alive and relevant.