New York, 1900. At the dawn of a new century, the city’s streets teem with electricity, automobiles, a brash young President Teddy Roosevelt—and the It Girls. As artist’s muses and working models, these independent young women soar to stardom not because of their pedigrees or inherited wealth, but because of their talent, charisma, and irresistible beauty. Pop culture is born, and in a world alight with Mr. Edison’s new bulbs, no one shines brighter than America’s sweetheart, Evelyn Talbot.

But the journey to stardom was not simple or straight. As a young girl, a grieving Evelyn is forced to take care of her widowed mother and kid brother. While working as a shopgirl, she is recruited as a studio model, and soon catches the eye of the preeminent artists of her age. When Broadway comes calling, Evelyn solidifies her status as the first self-made American female celebrity, a “Gibson Girl,” the most sought-after face of her time. Enter a parade of powerful and power-hungry men, from world-famous architect Stanley Pierce, the visionary behind Manhattan’s mansions and iconic landmarks, to Hal Thorne, the shockingly wealthy railroad heir and premiere “playboy” of high society. Each man promises comfort, glamour, security—even love. But fame and fortune are cruel teachers.

When Evelyn finds herself at the center of a murder of passion declared “the Crime of the Century,” the sins of the men in her life are blamed on her. In the media frenzy that erupts, Evelyn realizes that—to survive—she will have to take charge of her own ending. But can this artists’ muse turned showgirl pull off the greatest act of her life?