Now, voyager: A young woman escapes the smothering influence of her wealthy and very conservative mother through the help of a psychiatrist and an ocean cruise where she finds love, helping her to become her own person. Dark victory: The life of a fast-moving Long Island socialite skids to a stop when she discovers that she has less than a year to live. Old acquaintance: Old friends Kit Marlowe and Millie Drake adopt contrasting lifestyles: Kit is a single, critically acclaimed author while married Millie writes popular pulp novels. Jezebel: A haughty headstrong Southern Belle in antebellum Louisiana loses her fiance due to her stubborn vanity and pride and vows to get him back.