The Radleys are a typical family. Except Peter and Helen are vampires, and they've abstained from blood-chasing so that their children could lead normal lives. But when their daughter commits a shocking act of violence, the police launch an investigation that uncovers an unknown history --- and leads to a visit from their malevolent Uncle Will.

A tour de force of historical improvisation and vocal acrobatics, Peter Carey’s novel looks at postrevolutionary France and America through the eyes of two unforgettable narrators: Olivier and Parrot. The result is a vivid counterpoint and two wildly divergent perspectives on the same tumultuous period. It is also the story of a most unlikely friendship between a French lord and an English servant.