The novel, held together by pages from Esther's FBI file, follows Esther's life from the politically turbulent period of the Peekskill-Robeson concert in 1949 to the Earth Day celebration in 1985. Interspersed are short, pointed biographies of women whose lives and choices resonate with the choices made by Esther. As she reads and remembers, she wonders if she, like her biblical namesake and all the other women, would do it again.
As the novel unfolds, moments in the civil rights struggle and details of Jewish culture and rituals are woven into the seamless narrative. Esther is an ordinary woman trying to raise a family in New York City. While telling her story, the author gives the reader a deep look into one woman's life and times while showing the universality of her struggles.