Families who have lived in the Blue Ridge Mountains for generations are moved out as the federal government establishes the Shenandoah National Park. The life cycle of Rex Hall's parents is traced from poverty in the mountains of Virginia through success as druggists and back to poverty following the Great Depression. There is murder as a disgruntled studio manager shoots Rex, kills Rex's wife, is captured in a massive manhunt, escapes jail and is killed in a third attempt on Rex's life. There is romance as a bereaved Rex meets a younger woman, a divorcee. Television episodes are threaded through the book.
Characters suffer psychological problems, career changes and failures.
The final chapter carries some unexpected resolutions.