It is a volatile time. There are riots in the streets. Boss Daley is holding court at the Democratic Presidential Convention. The mob is in bed with politicians. It is the beginning of a movement to close State Psychiatric Hospitals. It’s Chicago in 1968.
Susan, a psychiatric social worker, breaks up with Dr. Mark Denning, the love of her life. Lonely and vulnerable she meets Elliott Mason, a lawyer, at a friend’s party. Unknown to Susan, this handsome and charming man was sent to law school by a mob boss and recently was told to find a wife who would enhance his political career.
Through Susan’s eyes, we witness the vivid experiences of working on the wards of a state psychiatric hospital and a community mental health center.
Through the reader’s eyes, we see Susan slowly losing her self-confidence and beginning to make excuses for Elliott’s lies, secrecy and “accidental” rough behavior.
She should know better, or should she? When Susan learns too much about Elliott’s business everything unravels and the “perfect” wife now becomes a liability. Elliott has to solve this problem in a way that will continue to keep his future political career on track. And that starts the beginning of Susan’s terror.