At seventeen, Anna K is at the top of Manhattan and Greenwich society (even if she prefers the company of her horses and dogs); She has a perfect (if completely boring) boyfriend, Alexander V; and her Korean-American father always has reasons to make her proud (even if he can be a little overbearing). Meanwhile, Anna's brother, Stephen, and his girlfriend, Lolly, try to get over the scandal; Lolly's younger sister, Kimmy, tries to return to normal life after an injury ruined her ice dancing career; and Steven's best friend, Dustin, is madly (and unrequitedly) in love with Kimmy. Unlike her friends, Anna gracefully manages to overcome all the difficulties of growing up, until one day she meets Alexei Vronsky. A famous playboy who wanders around boarding schools and lives for his own pleasure, he is someone who is completely unsuitable for her. He's never been in love, and maybe she hasn't either, but they're drawn to each other irresistibly, and Anna must decide what she's willing to sacrifice for the chance to be with him. When a shocking revelation threatens to destroy their relationship, she's forced to wonder the difficult question is how well she really knows herself.