"In Orpheus Descending, a handsome, stoic musician, Val Xavier, descends on a repressive Southern town. He finds work in a dry-goods store owned by the tyrannical but terminally ill Jabe Torrance; the store's daily operations are overseen by Jabe's wife, Lady. Tragedy in Lady's past drove her to Jabe, and her life since the marriage has been one of desperate loneliness. Val, with his exotic seductiveness and undeniable talent, might offer Lady an escape route to a happier future--if the town doesn't destroy them both first."--Publisher's website