Chicago, 1899. A city known for vice and violence welcomes a new show to town: the Daughters of Aphrodite Lyric Opera. Despite being branded "obscene" by the press and civic leaders - or perhaps partly because of it - their performances are a hit. Almost 18 and not yet married, Constance defies the will of her parents and sneaks out to see for herself what all the fuss is about. She will come to discover that the troupe's leader, the fearless, gifted and enigmatic Victoria da Vinci, is a woman with big ideas, big secrets and a complex past. Constance soon finds herself immersed in a world of danger and mystery . . . and must make a choice. A speculative blend of historical fiction, sci-fi and adventure-fantasy, Dicing Time for Gladness captures the conflicted spirit of turn-of-the-century America in a time of boundless optimism and shattering upheaval.