Fourteen-year-old Phano dreams of a quiet life as a respectable housewife in ancient Athens. Quiet respectability, though, may be more than she can hope for. Her father's wife, whom Phano thinks of as her mother, was once a courtesan. Though Phano loves her dearly, Mama is far more willful than a proper Athenian matron. And she has a mortal enemy: a man named Phrynion, who claims that Phano is not a free citizen but a slave who belongs to him. To complicate matters further, Phano is in love with Theo, whose wealthy and powerful family has great plans for him -- plans that do not include marriage to a lowly slave.