In an America that is as French as ours is English, Pierre-Henri Lemoyne has to choose among his naval career, taking on his father's mantle as chief of a major enterprise, or responding to a mysterious offer from his uncle in Asia.

Rival families plot, a mysterious murder complicates the issue, and Lemoyne travels desperately to meet all his obligations.

For lovers of alternate history, this novel offers surprising perspectives on how the world can be very different.