William Ralston is obsessed with a woman. His fiancée. Unfortunately, she's dead. Based on the true story of the brilliant 19th C. banker who "built" San Francisco, this novel takes us into the tormented life of the man who transformed the squalid gold rush town into one of the world's most spectacular cities.

Louisa Thorn, the beautiful, vivacious granddaughter of Cornelius Vanderbilt, is Ralston's one and only love, and her death just before their wedding is devastating to the young financier. Needing to escape, Ralston moves to the still-young and wild San Francisco, and there channels his love of Louisa into his new city. In her memory he will polish the rough-edged stone into a brilliant gem. But how? From whence the money? Then, the Comstock Lode is discovered, and he has his answer. He will funnel the vast wealth of the silver mines into his darling city, build museums, theaters, hotels. Louisa will be proud. And all goes according to plan, until Adolph Sutro arrives at the Comstock with his own far-fetched silver dreams. And thus begins a decade-long battle, a battle the rich and powerful Ralston should easily win, except that Sutro turns out to be very resourceful and incredibly stubborn.