Hetty Green is remembered today as "The Witch of Wall Street" - a woman detested, feared, and maligned by her peers. But in 1862 she was a passionate and charismatic young woman who was well on her way to becoming the richest young woman in the United States, perhaps in the world.

Hetty encounters the most powerful and talented personages of her time and all are awed by the high spirits of this remarkable young woman. She not only witnesses the events of her time, she often dominates them.

The man she loves is as headstrong as she, and the two engage in a clash of wills that culminates in a heart-wrenching betrayal and a dramatic plan for revenge.